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MODEBN  BATHS  AND 
BATH  HOUSES 


BY 

WM.  PAUL   GERHARD,  C.E. 


FIRST  EDITION 

FIRST    THOUSAND 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN    WILEY  AND   SONS 

LONDON:    CHAPMAN   &  HALL,  LIMITED 

1908 


COPYRIGHT,  1908, 

BY 
WM.   PAUL  GERHARD 


Stanhope  press 


Urban 
U*i»ry 


PREFACE 

DISCUSSING  the  "uplifting  power  of  the  bath,"  a  writer  in 
"Modern  Sanitation"  recently  commented  on  the  fact  that  "while 
for  many  years  the  subject  of  'bathing'  enjoyed  a  long  slumber, 
it  is  gratifying  to  note  the  now  constantly  increasing  reference 
to  bathing  and  its  benefits."  , 

In  his  practice  as  a  sanitary  engineer  the  author  has  had  ample 
opportunity  to  deal  with  the  subject  of  baths  and  bath  houses 
in  a  practical  way.  Many  of  the  baths  in  State  hospitals  and 
other  institutions  were  installed  under  his  superintendence,  and 
the  plumbing,  water-supply  and  sanitary  features  of  a  number  of 
the  public  or  people's  bath  houses  in  the  city  of  New  York  were 
planned  and  specified  by  him. 

A  recent  extended  trip  abroad  gave  the  author  an  opportunity 
to  visit  numerous  bath  houses  with  a  view  of  learning,  by  a  per- 
sonal inspection,  how  they  are  planned  and  equipped  on  the 
Continent  of  Europe  . 

He  saw  much  regarding  hydrotherapeutic,  electric-light  and 
air  and  sun  baths  that  is  probably  new  and  of  interest  to  his 
readers.  During  a  month's  stay  at  one  of  the  best-known  sana- 
toriums  in  Germany  (Dr.  Lahmann's,  at  a  small  place  called 
"Zum  Weissen  Hirsch,"  near  the  city  of  Dresden),  he  took  various 
water  baths,  electric-light  and  steam  baths,  and  also  the  air  baths 
twice  daily,  beginning  with  them  during  cold  winter  weather  in 
February,  1907.  He  became  particularly  impressed  with  the 
health-giving  qualities  of  these  air  baths.  In  order  to  make 
them  better  known  in  the  United  States  he  devoted  an  entire 
chapter  to  this  novel  form  of  bathing,  and  included  in  it  some 
interesting  illustrations. 

The  modern  spray  or  "rain  bath,"  the  discussion  of  which 
occupies  several  chapters,  is  by  this  time  so  well  known  both 

vii 


1 620758 


PREFACE 


abroad  and  here  that  it  is  no  longer  novel.  It  remains,  as  was 
predicted  by  the  author's  earlier  pamphlets  and  lectures  on  "Rain 
Baths,"  the  best  and  most  popular  form  of  bathing  for  the  masses. 

A  word  about  the  illustrations  of  this  book.  They  are  gleaned 
from  many  different  sources,  and  as  far  as  was  possible  the  author 
named  the  sources  from  which  they  were  taken,  and  gave  credit 
where  an  acknowledgment  was  due.  Some  of  the  plans  and 
details  are  taken  from  his  own  practice  in  the  line  of  domestic 
sanitary  engineering.  Others,  and  particularly  the  views  from 
European  bath  houses,  were  gathered  by  him  during  his  trip. 

Though  he  traveled  much  in  Europe  in  former  years  and  during 
his  recent  trip,  and  though  he  lived  for  many  years  in  Africa  as 
well  as  in  the  United  States,  it  never  was  the  good  fortune  of  the 
author  to  visit  some  .of  the  far  Eastern  countries,  such  as  Russia 
and  Japan,  or  the  countries  of  the  "Land  of  the  Midnight 
Sun."  In  books  of  travel  one  reads  a  good  deal  about  the 
peculiar  bathing  customs  of  some  of  these  countries,  but  rather 
than  give  "at  second-hand  "a  description  of  these,  merely  re-worded 
by  him,  the  author  decided  to  give  in  the  Appendix  some  extracts 
from  the  observations  of  well-known  travelers,  explorers  and 
scientists,  among  them  being  Paul  du  Chaillu,  Chamberlin,  Fink, 
Professor  Morse  and  Mrs.  Eraser.  The  author  believed  that 
the  readers  would  prefer  this  way  of  dealing  with  the  subject, 
and  accordingly  his  apologies  are  due  to  the  writers  mentioned 
for  his  having  freely  drawn  from  their  books. 

To  quote  again  from  "Modern  Sanitation,"  "there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  widespread  distribution  of  bathing  literature  will  in  the 
end  fulfill  its  every  promise,  with  the  result  that  ive  will  be  better 
people,  morally,  physically  and  intellectually." 

If  the  publication  of  this  book  should  help  to  attain  the  high 
goal  outlined  in  the  above-quoted  sentence,  the  author  would  feel 
more  than  well  repaid  for  the  time  required  to  prepare  it. 

THE  AUTHOR. 
33  UNION  SQUARE,  NEW  YORK, 
October,  1907. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

PBEFACE vii 

CHAPTERS 

I.  HISTORICAL  NOTES  ON  BATHING 1 

II.  THE  PURPOSES  OF  BATHING 8 

.   III.  THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS .     14 

IV.  THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH 30 

V.  HOUSE  AND  TENEMENT  BATHS 50 

VI.   PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 56 

VII.   PEOPLE'S  BATHS 72 

VIII.   PEOPLE'S  BATHS  (Continued) 94 

IX.  FACTORY  BATHS .   123 

X.  SCHOOL  BATHS 146 

XI.   BATHS  FOR  MILITARY  BARRACKS,  PRISONS  AND  JAILS 172 

XII.   HOSPITAL  BATHS 176 

XIII.  BATHS  FOR  CLUBHOUSES,  GYMNASIA,  HOTELS  AND  BARBER  SHOPS     202 

XIV.  RIVER  AND  SEA  BATHS 205 

XV.  AIR  AND  SUN  BATHS 215 

XVI.  MEDICAL  AND  ELECTRIC-LIGHT  BATHS 234 

.  XVII.  THE  WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES 248 

XVIII.   BIBLIOGRAPHY  ON  BATHS  AND  BATHING      275 

APPENDIX:  BATHING  IN  VARIOUS  COUNTRIES 282 

THE  DOG  BATH    .  301 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG. 

1.  SOFA  BATH.     From  author's  article  in  Russell  Sturgis'  Dictionary  of  Architec- 

ture. 

2.  SLIPPER  BATH.     From  auttwr's  article  in  Russell  Sturgis'  Dictionary  of  Archi- 


3.  WAVE  BATH,  PORTABLE.     From  German  Catalogue  of  Moosdorf  and  Hoch- 

haeusler  in  Berlin. 

4.  MECHANICAL  WAVE  BATH.    From  prospectus  of  a  private  bath  establishment 

in  Munich. 

5.  VIEW  OF  PLUNGE  BATH.     Views  collected  by  the  author. 

6.  VIEW  OF  PLUNGE.     Views  collected  by  the  author. 

1.  ILLUSTRATION  OF  A  SWIMMING  BATH.     From  a  prospectus  oj  an  American 
Boys'  School. 

8.  VIEW  IN  TURKISH  BATH,  GUENTZBATH,  DRESDEN.     Views  collected  by  the 

author. 

9.  SECTION  OF  RAIN  BATH.    From  author's  drawing. 

10.   SECTION  AND  VIEW  OF  SMALL  "GEGENSTROM-APPARATUS."     From  author's 


11.  PLAN  OF  HOUSE  BATHROOM.     From  the  author's  work  "Sanitary  Engineering 

of  Buildings." 

12.  PLAN  OF  HOUSE  BATHROOM.     From  the  author's  work  "Sanitary  Engineering 

of  Buildings." 

13.  PLAN  OF  HOUSE  BATHROOM.     From  the  author's  work  "Sanitary  Engineering 

of  Buildings." 

14.  BATHTUB  WITH  OVERHEAD  RAIN  BATH  SPRAY.     From  author's  drawing, 

prepared  for  catalogue  of  Henry  Huber  Co. 

15.  PLAN  OF  PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSE  AT  HANOVER.     From  a  German  publication 

describing  this  bath. 

16.  VIEW  IN  SAME  BATH  HOUSE.     From  a  German  publication  describing  this 

bath. 

17.  VIEW  IN  SAME  BATH  HOUSE.     From  a  German  publication  describing  this 

bath. 

18.  VIEW  IN  SAME  BATH  HOUSE.     From  a  German  publication  describing  this 

bath. 

19.  VIEW  IN  GUENTZ  BATH  HOUSE  IN  DRESDEN.     Views  collected  by  the  author. 

20.  VIEW  IN  GUENTZ  BATH  HOUSE  IN  DRESDEN.     Views  collected  by  the  author. 

xi 


xii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

21."viEW  IN  GUENTZ  BATH  HOUSE  IN  DRESDEN.     Views  collected  by  the  author. 

22.  VIEW  OF  MUNICH  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE.    From  a  German  publication 

describing  all  Munich  bath  houses. 

23.  PLAN  OF  SAME  BATH  HOUSE.    From  a  German  publication  describing  all 

Munich  bath  houses. 

24.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  SAME  BATH  HOUSE.     From  a  German  publication  describing 

all  Munich  bath  houses. 

25.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  BREMEN  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE.     Views  collected  by  the 

author. 

26.  SECTION  OF   RAIN   BATH    COMPARTMENT   IN   HEBREW   INSTITUTE.    From 

author's  drawing. 

27.  A  AND  B.    PLAN  AND  ELEVATION  OF  RAIN  BATH  IN  THE  HEBREW  INSTITUTE, 

N.  Y.  CITY.    From  author's  drawing. 

28.  PLAN  OF  BARON  DE  HIRSCH  PEOPLE'S  BATHS  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY.    From 

author's  drawing. 

29.  PLAN  OF  HICKS  STREET  BATH  HOUSE  IN  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.    From  report  by 

Bureau  of  City  Betterment  of  the  Citizens'  Union. 

30.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  SAME  BATH  HOUSE  SHOWING  DRESSING  AND  BATH  COM- 

PARTMENTS.    From  a  catalogue  on  Comfort  Stations  and  Public  Bath  Houses, 
bytheJ.L.  Mott  Iron  Works. 

31.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  SAME  BATH  HOUSE  SHOWING  CORRIDOR  IN  MEN'S  BATHS. 

From  a  Catalogue  on  Comfort  Stations  and  Public  Bath  Houses,  by  the  J.  L. 
Mott  Iron  Works. 

32.  FIRST  AND  SECOND  FLOOR  PLANS  OF  PITKIN  AVENUE  PEOPLE'S  BATH  IN 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.    From  report  of  Bureau  of  City  Betterment  of  the  Citizens' 
Union. 

33.  INTERIOR  VIEW  ALONG  CORRIDOR  IN  SAME  BATH    HOUSE.     From  a  photo- 

graph. 

34.  PLAN  OF  GROUND  FLOOR  OF  A  LARGER  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE,  PROPOSED  FOR 

N.  Y.    From  Report  of  Mayor's  Committee  on  Public  Baths. 

35.  PLAN  OF  A  PROPOSED  TWO-STORY  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE.    From  architects' 

drawing. 

36.  ELEVATION  OF  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE,  SHOWN  IN  PLAN  IN  FIG.  35.    From 

architects'  drawing. 

37.  PLAN  OF  FIRST  FLOOR  OF  ELEVENTH  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE,  NEW 

YORK  CITY.    From  report  of  Bureau  of  City  Betterment  of  the  Citizens' 
Union. 

38.  DETAILS  OF  BATH  COMPARTMENTS  IN  THE  SAME  BATH  HOUSE.    From  Report 

of  Bureau  of  City  Betterment  of  the  Citizens'  Union. 

39.  PLAN  OF  TWENTY-THIRD  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK  Cnr. 

From  report  of  Bureau  of  City  Betterment  of  the  Citizens'  Union. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

FIG. 

40.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  CABOT  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  BOSTON.    From 

report  of  Boston  Bath  Committee. 

41.  PLAN  OF  A  SMALLER  ONE-STORY  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE.    From  author's  plan 

prepared  jar  catalogue  of  Henry  Huber  Co. 

42.  PLAN  OF  PROPOSED  ONE-STORY  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE.    From  author's  plan 

prepared  for  catalogue  of  Henry  Huber  Co. 

43.  PLAN  OF  A  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  BERLIN,  GERMANY.    From  a  German 

publication  on  Public  Baths. 

44.  A  AND  B.     SECTION  AND  PLAN  OF  BATH  COMPARTMENTS  IN  PEOPLE'S  BATHS, 

BERLIN,  GERMANY.    From  a  German  publication  on  Public  Baths. 

45.  PLAN  OF  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  VIENNA,  AUSTRIA.     From   a  German 

architectural  paper,  translated  by  the  author  for  the  Architects'  and  Builders' 
Magazine. 

46.  CELLAR  FLOOR  PLAN  OF  ANOTHER  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  VIENNA.    From 

a  German  architectural  paper,  translated  by  the  author  for  the  Architects'  and 
Builders'  Magazine. 

47.  GROUND  FLOOR  PLAN  OF  ANOTHER  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  VIENNA.    From 

a  German  architectural  paper,  translated  by  the  author  for  the  Architects'  and 
Builders'  Magazine. 

48.  FIRST  FLOOR  PLAN  OF  ANOTHER  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  VIENNA.    From 

a  German  architectural  paper,  translated  by  the  author  for  the  Architects'  and 
Builders'  Magazine. 

49.  PLAN  FOR  A  PROPOSED  FACTORY  BATH  HOUSE.     From  author's  plan,  prepared 

for  catalogue  of  Henry  Huber  Co. 

50.  51.  52.  53.  54.   55.   56.   57.   DETAILS  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  BATH  HOUSES. 

From  a  paper  by  Baurat  Herzberg,  translated  for  the  Architects'  and  Builders' 
Magazine  by  the  author. 

58.  VIEW  OF  WORKMEN'S  LAVATORIES  IN  WESTON  ELECTRIC  MACHINE  WORKS. 

From  a  pamphlet  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Sociological  Department  of 
the  Weston  Electric  Machine  Works. 

59.  VIEW  OF  PLUNGE   BATH    IN  WESTON  ELECTRIC  MACHINE  WORKS.     From 

pamphlet  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Sociological  Department  of  the 
Weston  Electric  Machine  Works. 

60.  VIEW  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  IN  WESTON  ELECTRIC  MACHINE  WORKS.     From  a 

pamphlet  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Sociological  Department  of  the 
Weston  Electric  Machine  Works. 

61.  VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  IN  WORKS  OF  BROWNE  AND  SHARPE.    From 

photograph  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Browne  and  Sharpe  Mfg.  Co.  of 
Providence,  R.  I. 

62.  VIEW  OF  WASHSINKS  FOR  WORKMEN  IN  WORKS  OF  BROWNE  AND  SHARPE. 

From  photograph  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Browne  and  Sharpe  Mfg.  Co. 
of  Providence,  R.  I. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FIG. 

63.  VIEW  OP  WORKMEN'S  LAVATORIES  IN  WORKS  OF  WESTINGHOUSE  MACHINE 

Co.    From  a  photograph  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Westinghouse 
Machine  Co.,  East  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

64.  VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  LAVATORIES  AND  SHOWER  BATHROOM  IN  WILLIAMS 

FACTORY  IN  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.    From  a  photograph  kindly  sent  to  the  author 
by  J.  H.  Williams  &  Co.  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

65.  VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  LAVATORIES  IN  WORKS  OF  GENERAL  ELECTRIC  Co. 

From  a  photograph  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  General  Electric  Co.  of 
Schenectady,  N.  Y. 

66.  VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  LAVATORIES  AND  SHOWER  BATHS.    From  a  photo- 

graph kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  the  Sociological  Department  of  Cleveland 
Cliffs  Iron  Co.,  at  Ispheming,  Mich. 

67.  VIEWOF  ANTIQUE  VASE,  SHOWING  SPRAY  BATH.    From  a  German  publication. 

68.  PLAN  OF  SCHOOL  BATHS  IN  COLOGNE,  GERMANY.    From  a  German  publica- 

tion. 

69.  PLAN  OF  SCHOOL  BATHS  IN  MUNICH,  GERMANY.    From  a  German  publication. 

70.  PLAN  OF  SCHOOL  BATHS  IN  WIESBADEN,  GERMANY.    From  a  German  publi- 

cation. 

71.  AUTHOR'S  PLAN  FOR  PROPOSED  SCHOOL  BATHS.    From  author's  drawing. 

72.  SECTION  OF  SCHOOL  BATHS,  AS  PER  PLAN  FIG.  71.    From  author's  drawing. 

73.  AUTHOR'S  PLAN  FOR  PROPOSED  SCHOOL  BATHS.    From  author's  drawing 

prepared  for  catalogue  of  the  Henry  Huber  Co. 

74.  AUTHOR'S  PLAN  OF  PROPOSED  BATH  HOUSE  FOR  MILITARY  BARRACKS.     From 

author's  plan  prepared  for  catalogue  of  Henry  Huber  Co. 

75.  VIEW  OF  KINGS  COUNTY  PRISON  SHOWER  BATHS.    From  catalogue  of  Henry 

Huber  Co. 

76.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  RAIN  BATHS  AT  UTICA  STATE  HOSPITAL.     [Frontispiece.'] 

From  photograph  kindly  sent  to  the  author  by  Dr.  Blumer,  formerly  Medical 
Superintendent  of  the  Hospital. 

77.  PLAN  OF  BATH  HOUSE  AT  UTICA  STATE  HOSPITAL.    From  author's  drawing. 

78.  CROSS-SECTION  OF  BATH  HOUSE,  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  SPRAYS.    From 

author's  drawing. 

79.  ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  INTERIOR  OF  BATH  HOUSE.    From  a  photograph  kindly 

sent  by  Dr.  Blumer. 

80.  INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  BATH  HOUSE  SHOWING  THE  HOT  WATER  APPARATUS  FOR 

THE  SPRAYS.     From  photograph  kindly  sent  by  Dr.  Blumer. 

81.  DETAILS  OF  FLOOR  GUTTER.    From  author's  drawing. 

82.  DETAIL  OF  FLOOR  DRAIN.    Fro-,:i  author's  drawing. 

83.  DETAIL  OF  SPRAYS.    From  author's  drawing. 

84.  DETAIL  OF  SWIVEL  FOR  SPRAYS.    From  author's  drawing. 

85.  CROSS-SECTION  OF  BATH  HOUSE,  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  HOT  WATER 

APPARATUS.    From  author's  drawing. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  XV 

FIG. 

86.  DETAILS  OF  LARGE  GEGENSTROM  HOT  WATER  APPARATUS.    From  author's 

drawing. 

87.  PLAN  OF  BATH  HOUSE  AT  THE  KINGS  PARK  STATE  HOSPITAL,  L.  I.    From 

the  author's  plan  reproduced  in  his  work  "Sanitary  Engineering  of  Buildings." 

88.  AUTHOR'S  PLAN  FOR  PROPOSED  HOSPITAL   BATH  HOUSE.    From  author's 

plan,  prepared  for  the  catalogue  of  the  Henry  Huber  Co. 

89.  VIEW  OF  SHOWER  BATH  FOR  BOYS'  GYMNASIUM.    From  Boston  Municipal 

Report  on  Baths. 

90.  PLAN  OF  BARBERSHOP  SPRAY  BATHS.    From  author's  plan  prepared  for  the 

catalogue  of  the  Henry  Huber  Co. 

91.  VIEW  OF  SEA  BATHING  Box,  AS  USED  AT  OSTEND,  BELGIUM.    From  views 

collected  by  the  author. 

92.  VIEW  OF  BATHING  BEACH  AT  SCHEVENINGEN,  HOLLAND.     From  views  col- 

lected by  the  author. 

93.  VIEW  OF  FLOATING  RIVER  BATHS.    From  Municipal  report  on  baths. 

94.  VIEW  OF  FLOATING  RIVER  BATHS.     From  Municipal  report  on  baths. 

95.  VIEW  OF  FLOATING  RIVER  BATHS.    From  Municipal  report  on  baths. 

96.  OPEN  PLUNGE  BATH  FOR  COUNTRY  HOUSE.    Taken  from  Country  Life  in 

America. 

97.  SMALL  OPEN  CIRCULAR  PLUNGE  BATH   FOR  WORKINGMEN.     Taken  from 

Country  Life  in  America. 

98.  VIEW  OF  THE  PUBLIC  AIR  BATH  FOR  MEN  AT  THE  KURFUERSTENDAMM, 

BERLIN.    From  German  pamphlet  on  Air  Baths. 

99.  PLAN  OF  THE  MUNICIPAL  Ant  BATH  OF  MUNICH,  GERMANY.    From  German 

publication  of  the  Munich  Bath  Houses. 

100.  VIEW  IN  THE  MUNICIPAL  AIR  BATH  AT  MUNICH,  GERMANY.    From  German 

publication  of  the  Munich  Bath  Houses. 

101.  ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  A  MUNICIPAL  AIR  BATH  OF  MUNICH,  GERMANY.    From 

German  publication  of  the  Munich  Bath  Houses. 

102.  GROUP  OF  ATHLETES  IN  THE  AIR  BATH.     From  German  pamphlet  on  Air 

Baths. 

103.  GROUP  OF  PERSONS  TAKING  AN  OUTDOOR  Am  BATH.    From  a  photograph 

taken  shortly  after  a  fall  of  snow,  with  outdoor  temperature  at  28°  F. 

104.  PERSON  TAKING  AN  AIR  BATH  IN  THE  WOODS  AFTER  A  SNOW  FALL,  TEM- 

PERATURE OUTDOORS  28°  F.     Views  collected  by  the  author. 

105.  ATHLETIC  EXERCISES  IN  THE  AIR  BATH.     From  German  pamphlet  on  Air 

Baths. 

106.  CHILDREN'S  DRILL  IN  THE  WOMEN'S  AIR  BATH.    From  the  prospectus  of  a 

German  sanatorium. 

107.  ATHLETIC  EXERCISES  IN  THE  AIR  BATH.    From  German  pamphlet  on  Air 

Baths. 


I 

xvi  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Fio. 

108.  ATHLETIC  EXERCISES  IN  THE  AIR  BATH.    From  German  pamphlet  on  Air 

Baths. 

109.  GROUP  OF  PATIENTS  TAKING  AN  AIR  BATH.    From  the  prospectus  of  a  German 

sanatorium. 

110.  BOWLING  SPORT  IN  THE  AIR  BATH.    From  prospectus  of  a  German  sana- 

torium. 

111.  BAND  PLATING  IN  THE  PUBLIC  AIR  BATH.    From  German  pamphlet  on  Air 

Baths. 

112.  A  HYDRO-ELECTRIC  BATH.    From  German  catalogue  of  Recknagel   &  Co., 

Munich. 

113.  A  AND  B.    VIEW  AND  SECTION  OF  ARTIFICIAL  WAVE  BATH.    From  German 

catalogue  of  Recknagel  &  Co.,  Munich. 

114.  SECTION  OF  ARTIFICIAL  CURRENT  BATH.    From  German  catalogue  of  Reck- 

nagel &  Co.,  Munich. 

J15.  VIEW  OF  POOL  WITH  ARTIFICIAL  WAVES.    From  German  catalogue  of  Reck- 
nagel &  Co.,  Munich. 
J16.  VIEW  OF  INTERIOR  OF  A  MUD  BATH  HOUSE.    From  prospectus  of  Indiana 

Springs  Co.,  Mudlavia,  Ind. 
.  VIEW  OF  INTERIOR  OF  A  MUD  BATH  HOUSE.    From  prospectus  of  Indiana 

Springs  Co.,  Mudlavia,  Ind. 

.  MUD  BATH  APPLICATION.    From  prospectus  of  Indiana  Springs  Co.,  Mud- 
lavia, Ind. 
V119.  MUD  BATH  APPLICATION.    From  prospectus  of  Indiana  Springs  Co.,  Mud- 

lavia,   Ind. 

vl -"•   MUD  BATH  APPLICATION.    From  prospectus  of  Indiana  Springs  Co.,  Mud- 
lavia, Ind. 

121.  ELECTRIC  GLOW-LIGHT  BATH.    From  a  German  catalogue  of  Recknagel   <fr 

Co. 

122.  ELECTRIC  ARC-  AND  GLOW-LIGHT  BATH.    From  a  German  catalogue  of 

Recknagel  &  Co. 

123.  VIEW  OF   BATHROOM   EQUIPPED   WITH   ELECTRIC   LIGHT  BATHS.    From 

prospectus  of  a  Berlin  private  bath  establishment  and  Zander  Institute. 

124.  KOERTING  MIXING  VALVE.    From  a  German  catalogue. 

125.  ANOTHER  GERMAN  MIXING  VALVE.     From  a  German  catalogue. 

126.  ANOTHER  GERMAN  MIXING  VALVE.    From  a  German  catalogue. 

127.  AANDB.    UNIVERSAL  MIXING  VALVE.    From  Henry  Huber  catalogue. 

128.  ADJUSTABLE  SHOWER  HEAD.    From  a  German  catalogue. 

129.  KOERTING  SPRAY.    From/i  German  catalogue. 

130.  A  BATH  FOR  DOGS.    From  Views  collected  by  the  author. 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


CHAPTER  I 

HISTORICAL  NOTES 


'  In  balneis  salus  ' ' 


THE  practice  of  bathing  has  since  the  earliest  periods  of  history 
been  regarded  in  nearly  all  countries  as  conducive  to  the  health 
and  welfare  of  the  human  race.  The  most  ancient  historical 
accounts  as  well  as  some  popular  myths  make  mention  of  it. 

History  records  the  fact  that  to  the  ancient  nations  bathing 
was  not  merely  a  custom  or  bodily  necessity,  but  that  it  was, 
or  early  became,  a  practice  demanded  by,  and  intimately  asso- 
ciated with,  the  requirements  of  religious  rites  and  worship.  Man, 
it  was  thought,  ought  to  present  himself  pure,  both  in  mind  and 
in  body,  before  entering  a  temple  to  engage  in  the  service  of  his 
God.  The  ancient  nations  appreciated  the  value  of  bathing 
perhaps  even  more  than  we  do  to-day,  and  bodily  cleanliness 
was  considered  by  them  a  symbol  of  moral  purity. 

Since  regular  bathing  and  ablutions  of  the  body  were  made 
compulsory  by  religious  rites,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  that 
baths  and  special  bath  houses  were  established  for  this  purpose 
in  India,  Persia,  Assyria  and  in  Egypt.  To  the  Hindoo  the 
river  Ganges  was  a  holy  stream,  in  which  he  had  to  bathe  himself 
at  certain  days  prescribed  by  his  religion.  In  the  same  way 
the  river  Nile  was  holy  to  the  Egyptians,  who  thus  became 
addicted  to  the  bathing  habit,  and  some  of  their  temples  are  said 
to  have  been  provided  with  bathing  places. 

The  Mosaic  law  required  the  Hebrews  to  take  regular  ablu- 
tions of  the  body  before  the  daily  meals,  before  wedding  festivities 

1 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


and  birth  celebrations,  before  entering  the  temple  of  worship, 
before  all  religious  ceremonies,  and  after  every  contamination. 
The  Israelite  girls  and  women  were  commanded  by  strict  laws, 
originally  framed  by  Moses,  to  bathe  at  regular  monthly  intervals, 
which  custom  prevails  with  the  orthodox  Jews  even  at  the  present 
day.  In  Palestine  the  wealthier  Jews  are  said  to  have  had 
private  baths  in  their  dwelling  houses  and  bathing  pools  in  their 
gardens,  and  besides  this  there  existed  a  number  of  public  bath 
houses. 

The  care  of  the  body  reached  a  very  high  stage  of  development 
with  the  Greeks,  and  later  on  with  the  Romans,  and  the  Greeks 
in  particular  considered  it  as  quite  necessary  for  a  sound  develop- 
ment of  the  mind.  Warm  baths  are  mentioned  by  the  poet 
Homerus,  who  tells  us  how  his  heroes  found  refreshing  and  in- 
vigorating enjoyment  in  the  baths.  A  douche  or  shower  bath 
is  shown  on  an  antique  Grecian  vase,  now  in  the  Royal  Museum 
at  Berlin.  The  Spartans  were  fond  of  cold  baths  and  hardened 
their  bodies  by  the  frequent  use  of  sea  and  river  baths. 

Throughout  Greece  warm  tub  baths  were  provided  in  the 
houses  of  the  well-to-do,  and  were  used  not  only  before  meals, 
but  also  before  religious  ceremonies,  such  as  weddings,  sacrifices 
and  the  reception  of  oracles.  Guests  were  always  provided  by 
their  host  with  a  bath  upon  the  arrival  at  his  house. 

Four  centuries  before  Christ  public  bath  houses  were  erected 
by  the  state  in  Athens  and  in  other  cities,  which  contained  large 
bathing  halls  with  round  or  oval  swimming  pools,  and  which  were 
freely  available  to  the  poorer  citizens.  Bath  houses  were  also  often 
attached  to  the  gymnasia  or  the  buildings  devoted  to  athletic 
exercises,  and  these  baths  were  used,  not  as  a  mere  matter  of 
luxury,  but  chiefly  for  the  sake  of  cleanliness  and  health. 

The  Greeks  also  had  medical  baths,  chiefly  hot  sulphur  spring 
baths,  like  those  of  Thermopylae  and  those  on  the  islands  of 
I>esbos,  Eubcea  and  others,  which  became  famous  for  the  cure 
of  certain  diseases.  It  is  likewise  worth  mentioning  that  the 
famous  Greek  physician  Hippocrates  is  considered  by  some  to 
be  the  founder  of  balneology.  The  Greek  bath  houses  became 


HISTORICAL  NOTES 


the  prototypes  for  the  later  Roman  thermae,  and  in  both  countries 
bath  houses  attained  their  highest  development. 

The  Romans  indulged  perhaps  even  more  than  other  nations 
in  the  practice  of  luxurious  bathing.  During  the  earlier  times 
and  while  Rome  was  a  republic,  their  habits  were  simpler  and 
their  public  bathing  pools  or  piscinas  were  accordingly  of  a  plain 
character.  In  the  year  305  before  Christ  a  larger  public  bath 
house  was  erected  outside  of  the  city  walls,  which  was  supplied 
with  water  from  the  first  aqueduct  built  by  Appius  Claudius. 
Bath  houses  multiplied  rapidly  as  additional  aqueducts  were 
built,  until  the  daily  consumption  of  water  in  these  places  reached 
the  enormous  amount  of  nearly  200  million  gallons.  In  the 
course  of  time  the  bath  houses  became  more  and  more  lux- 
urious. 

In  the  time  of  the  Emperors,  Rome  had  the  finest  and  most 
luxuriously  built  and  equipped  private  as  well  as  public  bath 
houses.  In  these  magnificent  public  buildings  the  real  object 
of  bathing  \vas  almost  forgotten,  for  they  became  rather  public 
pleasure  resorts,  provided  with  gymnasia,  amphitheaters,  gardens 
and  courts,  libraries,  reading  rooms  and  places  for  public  orators, 
where  Roman  citizens  went  to  spend  a  large  part  of  the  day.  « 

It  is  said  that  bath  houses  of  similar  gorgeousness  were  pro- 
vided for  women,  who  were  fully  as  fond  of  the  practice  of  bathing 
in  company  as  the  men  were.  History  tells  us  how  some  of  the 
empresses  indulged  in  the  most  refined  and  cunning  bathing 
habits,  as  for  instance  the  Empress  Poppaea,  who  took  daily  milk 
baths,  the  milk  being  obtained  from  500  asses  which  she  kept 
specially  for  this  purpose,  attended  by  many  slaves.  In  the 
houses  of  the  rich,  cosmetic  baths  were  indulged  in  by  women  to 
secure  a  clean,  fresh,  white  and  soft  skin.  Later  on  the  practice  of 
men  and  women  bathing  together  began,  and  this  led  gradually 
to  debauchery  and  degeneration  and  to  the  ultimate  abandon- 
ment of  bathing. 

The  ruins  of  the  thermae  or  baths  of  Titus,  Caracalla  and 
Diocletianus  in  Rome,  of  the  thermae  of  Pompeii  and  Bajae 
in  the  country  near  Rome,  and  of  others  erected  by  the  Romans 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


in  their  foreign  provinces,  as  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Baden-Baden, 
Trier,  etc.,  give  evidence  of  the  magnitude,  splendor  and  lavish- 
ness  of  these  places.  Wherever  the  Roman  army  conquered 
new  provinces,  bath  houses  were  erected,  in  particular  in  places 
where  hot  springs,  aquae  or  thermae  were  found. 

The  Roman  historian  Tacitus  relates  that  the  German  tribes 
practiced  and  enjoyed  cold  river  bathing,  where  men  and  women 
bathed  together,  and  that  they  were  fond  of  swimming. 

The  Emperor  Constantine  erected  some  large  bath  houses 
in  Byzantium  and  constructed  large  aqueducts  for  public  water 
supply.  From  Byzantium  the  bathing  custom  traveled  to  southern 
countries  around  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  to  Algiers  and  to  Spain, 
where  the  Arabs  and  the  Moors  erected  many  fine  baths,  like 
those  in  the  Alhambra  at  Granada. 

The  Mohammedans  also  had  religious  rites  and  the  Islam  re- 
ligion prescribed  the  practice  of  ablutions  and  the  use  of  the  bath. 
Public  baths  are  even  to-day  quite  common  in  Turkey  as  well  as 
in  Eygpt. 

During  the  Middle  Ages  bathing  was  cultivated  but  little, 
though  some  of  the  German  emperors,  like  Charlemagne  and 
Barbarossa,  were  fond  of  bathing  and  swimming.  Owing  to  the 
contact  with  the  Oriental  nations  during  the  Holy  Crusades, 
the  practice  of  bathing  again  became  somewhat  popular.  Bathing 
pools  and  tubs  were  provided,  not  only  in  the  medieval  castles 
and  in  the  monasteries,  but  with  the  growth  of  civic  life,  bath 
houses  were  established  in  the  cities.  We  also  find  mention  of 
some  luxurious  private  baths  in  the  houses  of  merchant  princes, 
in  Italy,  France  and  Germany.  The  public  bath  houses,  how- 
ever, degenerated  and  became  the  places  of  loose  morals,  vice 
and  of  infection;  the  extent  of  public  bathing  grew  less  and  less, 
and  finally,  when  epidemics  broke  out,  the  bath  houses  had  to  be 
closed  up  altogether. 

During  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  public  bathing 
became  almost  extinct,  and  it  is  really  only  since  the  middle  of 
the  nineteenth  century  that  the  healthful  influence  of  bathing 
became  once  more  recognized,  and  public  bath  houses  were  again 


HISTORICAL  NOTES 


erected,   largely   upon    the    recommendation    and    the   urging   of 
physicians  and  sanitarians. 

In  Russia,  as  in  Scandinavia,  Denmark  and  Finland,  hot  baths 
and  steam  baths  have  always  been  quite  popular  with  the  people, 
and  the  practice  of  bathing  seems  to  be  on  the  increase.  (See 
Appendix,  Bathing  in  Russia,  Scandinavia  and  Finland.) 

Some  of  the  American  Indians,  though  not  otherwise  remark- 
able for  cleanliness,  practiced  bathing,  in  water  as  well  as  in  steam. 

In  the  far  Eastern  countries  of  Asia,  China  seems  to  be  the 
one  nation  where  bathing  is  not  much  practiced,  and  where  no 
public  bath  houses  exist.  The  Japanese,  on  the  contrary,  are 
very  fond  of  bathing,  particularly  of  hot  baths,  and  public  swim- 
ming as  well  as  private  tub  baths  are  very  numerous,  not  only  in 
their  large  cities,  but  also  in  the  country  districts  where  hot  mineral 
springs  occur.  (See  Appendix,  Bathing  in  Japan.) 

******  * 

Thus  we  see  that  all  cultured  nations  have  practiced  bathing, 
chiefly  at  a  period  in  their  history  when  they  flourished  most, 
and  that  with  the  decay  of  civilization  and  culture  baths  also 
disappeared.  Let  us  now  glance  very  briefly  at  the  development 
of  the  modern  bath  houses.  During  the  first  thirty  or  forty  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century  but  few  public  bath  houses  existed  in  the 
large  cities.  Physicians  pointed  out  the  value  of  bathing  and, 
swimming,  and  military  surgeons  urged  the  establishment  of 
swimming  baths  for  soldiers  along  the  river  fronts.  In  Western* 
Europe  a  new  stimulus  was  given  by  the  Public  Bath  and  Wash- 
house  Act,  passed  in  England  in  1846.  As  a  result  a  large  number, 
of  public  bath  houses  were  built  in  the  principal  cities,  the  first 
one  being  erected  in  Frederick  Street,  in  Liverpool. 

In  France  a  law  passed  in  May,  1850,  gave  the  Minister  of 
Commerce  means  to  erect  public  bath  houses;  Belgium  followed 
in  1854,  and  Austria,  Germany,  Switzerland  and  Italy  soon 
afterwards,  and  thus  a  great  number  of  public  bath  houses  were 
quickly  established  on  the  Continent  of  Europe,  many  of  these 
being  fitted  up  with  swimming  pools  and  with  Russian  and  Turk- 
ish baths,  besides  numerous  tub  baths,  and  so  became,  in  a  measure, 


6          MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

institutions  not  unlike  those  of  the  days  of  ancient  Rome.  While 
these  structures  performed  a  useful  function,  they  could  not  be 
considered  people's  baths  in  the  true  meaning  of  the  term,  for  the 
rate  of  admission  charged  and  the  comparatively  elegant  in- 
teriors and  exteriors  kept  away  the  poorer  classes  of  the  popula- 
tion, who  suffer  most  from  the  lack  of  bathing  conveniences  in 
their  homes. 

The  Berlin  Public  Health  Exhibition  of  1883  stirred  up  public 
sentiment  in  favor  of  cheap  people's  baths,  and  credit  is  due  chiefly 
to  Prof.  Dr.  Oscar  Lassar  of  that  city  for  having  inaugurated 
the  movement.  At  this  exhibition  the  first  bath  for  working 
people  was  shown  and  put  to  a  practical  test.  It  was  so  success- 
ful that  it  was  at  once  adopted  by  some  cities,  as  well  as  for  mili- 
tary barracks  and  factories.  Similar  military  baths  had  been 
already  installed  and  tried  in  Berlin  in  1878,  by  Surgeon- General 
Dr.  Muennich,  he  having  demonstrated  that  in  one  hour  300 
soldiers  could  be  quickly  bathed  in  only  eighteen  compartments. 

The  first  people's  bath  was  built  in  Vienna  in  1887,  in  an  old 
building  in  the  Mondscheingasse  (see  Chapter  VIII),  where  seventy- 
two  bathing  cells  were  installed.  About  the  same  time  the  first 
school  baths  were  provided  in  the  German  cities  of  Goettingen, 
Munich  and  Weimar.  All  of  these  people's  baths,  school,  factory 
and  military  baths  were  of  the  type  known  as  "rain  baths," 
which  will  be  considered  more  in  detail  further  on. 

A  similar  movement  took  place  in  the  United  States  about  the 
year  1891.  It  must  first  be  mentioned  that  the  necessity  of  luxu- 
rious public  bathing  establishments  was  not  so  keenly  felt  in 
America,  because  here  dwellings  of  the  better  class  are  built 
much  more  with  a  view  to  domestic  comfort  than  those  of  other 
countries.  They  are  always  provided  with  bathing  conveniences, 
so  that  even  in  small  houses  the  bathroom  and  the  kitchen  boiler,/ 
furnishing  the  hot  water,  are  not  lacking.  What  our  large  cities* 
require,  however,  is  cheap  spray  or  rain  baths  for  the  masses  of 
working  people,  who  lack  bathing  facilities  in  the  tenements.. 
It  is  the  duty  of  every  municipality  to  provide  cheap  bath  houses 
or  people's  baths,  for  they  tend  to  reduce  the  general  mortality 


HISTORICAL  NOTES 


rate  of  a  city,  and  the  number  of  sick  in  the  city  hospitals;  and  by 
installing,  in  the  same  way,  baths  in  the  public  schools,  more 
is  done  to  improve  the  air  of  classrooms  than  the  most  perfect 
system  of  ventilation  can  accomplish,  while  it  also  teaches  the 
children  to  keep  themselves  clean.  (See  Chapter  X.) 

The  State  of  New  York  was  the  first  to  pass,  in  1895,  a  legis- 
lative act,  making  the  establishment  of  people's  baths,  kept  open 
the  year  around,  mandatory  upon  all  cities  having  a  population 
of  50,000  or  more,  and  credit  is  chiefly  due  to  Mr.  Goodwin 
Brown,  formerly  State  Commissioner  in  Lunacy,  for  having 
urged  the  passage  of  this  act.  Many  large  bath  houses  were 
soon  built  in  New  York  City,  as  well  as  in  other  cities  of  the 
State,  and  Boston,  Brooklyn,  Philadelphia,  Chicago  and  others 
soon  followed  the  example. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  PURPOSES  OF  BATHING 

BATHING  signifies  the  immersion  of  the  body,  or  of  parts  of 
the  same  in,  or  its  exposure  to,  a  liquid,  generally  water,  or  else 
the  application  of  running  or  falling  water,  or  other  liquid,  to  the 
entire  body  or  to  parts  of  the  same.  In  a  wider  sense,  we  may 
define  "bathing"  as  a  contact  of  parts  of  the  skin  of  the  body, 
during  a  more  or  less  continued  period  of  time,  with  any  semi- 
liquid,  liquid  or  gaseous  medium  or  substance  (thereby  including 
mud  baths,  sand  baths,  air,  steam  and  vapor  baths),  and  we 
can  finally  include  in  the  term  the  application  of  sunlight  and 
electricity  (as  in  the  sun  baths,  electric  light  baths,  etc.). 

The  word  "bath"  means,  first  of  all,  the  washing  of  the  body 
in,  or  its  exposure  to,  water  or  other  fluid  agent,  for  various  pur- 
poses, to  which  we  shall  again  refer  below. 

More  generally,  the  word  "bath"  denotes  an  arrangement, 
appliance  or  fixture  by  means  of  which  the  human  body,  or  parts 
of  it  may  be  subjected  to  the  action  of  a  medium,  generally  water; 
it  also  designates  the  apartment  in  which  such  apparatus  stands 
or  is  fitted  up;  it  finally  is  used  at  times,  in  a  still  wider  sense,  to 
denote  a  building  or  edifice,  fitted  up  for  bathing  purposes  and 
commonly  called  a  "bath  house." 

Let  us  briefly  inquire  into  the  objects  of  bathing.  We  may 
readily  distinguish  three  chief  purposes,  viz.: 

.    (1)   The  maintenance  of  cleanliness; 

(2)  The    maintenance    or    improvement    of    health    of    the 

human  body;  and 

(3)  The  cure  of  disease  or  the  restoration  of  health. 

It  is  largely  with  the  two  former,  the  hygienic  and  cleansing 
baths,  that  we  are  concerned  in  this  book;  but  the  principal 
therapeutic  baths  are  briefly  described  in  Chapters  XV  and  XVI. 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BATHING 


The  preservation  of  health  and  prevention  of  disease  by  bathing 
are  accomplished  in  several  ways,  of  which  the  following  are  the 
most  important  ones. 

Bathing  is  practiced: 

(a)    For  the  sake  of  cleanliness  of  the  surface  of  the  body. 
(&)    For  the  sake  of  promoting  the  proper  functions  of  the  skin. 

(c)  For  the  sake  of  cooling  and  refreshing,  for  the  general 

exhilarating    and    stimulating,    or    sometimes    for    its 
soothing,  effect. 

(d)  For  the  sake  of  increasing  the  blood  circulation  and  the 

bodily  heat. 

(e)  For  the  sake  of  hardening  the  skin  against  atmospheric 

influences. 
(/)    For  the  sake  of  bodily  athletic  exercise,  as  in  swimming. 

In  other  words,  baths  are  taken,  not  merely  with  a  view  of 
personal  cleanliness,  —  although  that  must  always  remain  the  one 
object  of  paramount  importance,  —  but  they  are  also  indulged  in 
during  the  warm  season,  in  order  to  refresh  and  cool  the  body,  to 
strengthen  and  invigorate  the  system,  to  open  up  the  pores  of  the 
skin  and  regulate  the  bodily  temperature,  to  make  the  muscles 
more  pliable,  to  render  the  body  less  sensitive  to  changes  of  tem- 
perature, to  give  a  higher  degree  of  endurance,  and  finally  for  the 
enjoyment  of  healthy  muscular  exercise. 

Warm  tub  baths  and  showers  are  representative  forms  of  baths 
taken  chiefly  to  obtain  and  preserve  cleanliness,  while  swimming 
baths,  river  and  sea  baths  are  the  forms  of  baths  largely  taken 
for  the  sake  of  pleasurable  exercise,  for  the  hardening  and  strength- 
ening of  the  body,  and  for  the  general  comfort  as  well  as  cooling 
and  stimulating  effect  derived  from  the  same. 

In  the  following  remarks  reference  will  almost  entirely  be  made 
to  the  principal  object  of  bathing,  viz.,  the  cleansing  of  the  surface 
of  the  body,  consisting  in  the  removal  of  all  dust,  dirt,  perspiration 
and  dead  scarf  skin.  This  is  best  accomplished  in  a  tepid  bath 
with  soap.  This  leads  us  naturally  to  say  a  few  words  in  general 
about  bodily  cleanliness. 


10  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

On  Personal  Cleanliness — The  periodical  and  thorough  cleansing 
of  the  surface  of  the  human  body  by  bathing  and  by  general 
ablutions  is  a  condition  for  continued  health,  and  becomes  a 
potent  factor  in  prolonging  life.  This  was  recognized  at  all 
times,  and  Hippocrates  expressed  this  view  in  his  well-known 
requirements  relating  to  purity  of  soil,  of  the  air,  the  water,  of 
the  food  and  of  the  body.  The  best  way  of  preventing  disease 
or  epidemics  consists  in  removing  quickly  all  manner  of  dirt  and 
refuse,  whether  in  the  streets,  in  the  houses  or  on  the  human  body. 
Uncleanliness  of  the  body  may  lead  to  skin  diseases,  and  often 
causes  offensive  exhalations  due  to  the  putrefaction  of  the  dirt 
on  the  skin  and  in  the  clothing. 

It  is  also  a  frequent  source  of  contamination  of  the  air  of  closed 
apartments,  and  this  is  particularly  apparent  in  places  where 
many  persons  assemble  or  congregate  together,  as  in  schools, 
theaters,  churches  and  hospitals.  Indeed,  bodily  exhalations, 
due  to  lack  of  cleanliness  of  body  and  underclothing,  pollute  the 
air  of  rooms  often  to  such  an  extent  that  the  best  and  most 
elaborate  schemes  of  ventilation  fail  utterly,  as  for  instance  in 
schoolrooms,  in  prisons,  military  barracks,  in  courtrooms  and  in 
workshops. 

Cleanliness  of  the  body  is,  without  doubt,  the  most  important 
step  to  be  taken  for  the  prevention  of  the  evils  associated  with 
foul  air  of  rooms,  and  it  is  indispensable  for  the  development 
and  strengthening  of  the  young  and  the  maintenance  of  health 
in  grown  persons. 

In  order  to  understand  still  better  the  effects  of  bodily  ablutions 
and  baths  on  the  health  of  the  system,  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
the  structure  and  function  of  the  human  skin. 

The  Skin  and  its  Functions  —  Briefly  stated,  the  skin  forms  the 
outer  surface  of  the  human  body,  and  as  such  is  in  constant  and 
more  or  less  intimate  contact  with  the  air  and  with  the  objects 
which  surround  us. 

The  skin  may  be  taken  as  being  composed  of  two  layers,  namely 
an  outer,  thin  layer,  of  innumerable  cells  or  scales,  the  scarfskin 
or  so-called  epidermis,  and  the  inside  or  deeper  layer,  the  true 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BATHING  11 

skin  or  derma,  which  contains  the  blood  vessels  and  nerves,  and 
on  the  upper  surface  of  which  are  ridges  or  papillae. 

Underneath  the  true  skin  is  a  mass  of  adipose  tissue,  in  which 
are  located  the  roots  of  the  hair  and  the  sweat  and  sebaceous 
glands,  leading  to  the  outer  surface.  The  outer  skin  is  subject  to 
abrasion  or  renewal,  and  is  constantly  shed  off.  Of  the  two 
varieties  of  glands  in  the  skin,  the  sweat  glands  accomplish  the 
object  of  cutaneous  perspiration,  whereas  the  oily  or  sebaceous 
glands  are  intended  to  keep  the  skin  soft  and  flexible.  Both 
kinds  of  glands  open  on  the  surface  in  the  so-called  pores  of  the 
skin,  and  their  secretion  or  discharge  is  constantly  going  on  in 
healthy  individuals. 

Now,  what  are  the  functions  of  the  skin  ?  First,  it  encloses 
and  protects  the  internal  organs  against  injury;  second,  it  regu- 
lates the  temperature  of  the  body  by  perspiration  and  evaporation ; 
third,  it  eliminates  waste  materials  from  the  body  and  thus  acts 
as  an  organ  of  excretion  and  of  purification  of  the  system;  fourth, 
it  is  the  organ  of  feeling,  of  touch  and  of  temperature. 

If  the  regular  action  of  the  skin  is  suppressed  or  interfered 
with,  serious  detriment  to  health  may  follow.  This  is  precisely 
what  often  happens  if  the  cleaning  of  the  skin  is  neglected:  the 
pores  become  clogged,  as  it  were,  and  the  functions  of  the  skin 
cease  to  be  performed  with  sufficient  regularity. 

The  exudations  from  the  skin  and  the  oily  secretions  of  the 
sebaceous  glands,  together  with  the  dead  particles  of  the  scarfskin, 
mingle  with  the  dirt  and  dust  floating  in  the  air  to  form  an  in- 
crustation more  or  less  thick,  which  closes  up  the  outer  openings 
or  pores  and  thus  hinders  perspiration,  besides  causing  bad  odors 
due  to  putrefaction  of  the  mixture,  and  sometimes  inducing  in- 
flammation or  boils  on  the  skin,  or  becoming  the  seat  of  baccilli. 

A  part  of  the  dirt  crust  is  probably  abrased  and  attaches  to 
the  underwear  of  persons,  and  is  thus  removed  with  the  change 
of  the  linen,  in  the  laundry.  From  this  it  is  apparent  that  the 
less  often  a  change  of  linen  is  accomplished,  the  oftener  a  bath 
should  be  taken.  It  is,  however,  unfortunately  true,  that  where 
underclothing  is  not  removed  sufficiently  often,  ablutions  are  also 


12  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

seldom  indulged  in.  Our  skin  can  only  perform  its  function  well 
if  it  is  kept  clean  and  free  from  all  putrefactive  accumulations. 
This  is  acomplished  by  a  liberal  use  of  warm  water  and  soap. 
Warm  water  dissolves  dirt  much  quicker  and  better  than  cold 
water,  therefore  a  warm  bath  is  required  to  clean  the  skin  and  to 
remove  the  used-up  particles  of  the  scarfskin.  The  alkalies  of 
soap  help  to  dissolve  and  remove  the  greasy  or  fatty  substances, 
forming  part  of  the  dirt  crust.  The  combined  chemical  and 
mechanical  effects  of  water,  soap  and  friction  are  needed  to 
remove  the  mixture  of  dirt,  skin  secretions  and  epidermic  scales 
on  the  skin  surface,  to  prevent  the  clogging  of  the  pores,  and  to 
promote  the  proper  performance  of  the  functions  of  the  skin. 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  good  influence  which  bathing  exer- 
cises upon  the  health  of  the  body  is  exerted,  first  on  the  skin 
itself,  and  then  through  it  upon  the  tissues  and  vital  organs  of 
the  body.  The  care  of  the  skin  and  cleanliness  of  the  body  are 
seldom  spontaneous,  they  must  be  taught  like  all  other  things. 
Many  persons  are  too  lazy  to  use  soap  and  water,  brush  and 
comb,  and  the  entire  ablution  of  the  body  is  not  accomplished 
with  sufficient  regularity.  According  to  Professor  Liebig,  the 
true  degree  of  civilization  of  a  people  may  be  judged  by  the  amount 
of  soap  (and  let  me  add  water)  consumed  annually.  The  enjoy- 
ment of  regular  complete  cleansing  of  the  body  should  be  afforded 
to  all  classes  of  the  population.  It  does  not  cost  much  to  keep 
clean,  and  there  is  no  good  reason  why  the  poor  man  should  not 
be  enabled  to  maintain  cleanliness  as  well  as  the  rich. 

Indeed,  the  laboring  man  is,  owing  to  the  nature  of  his  work 
and  to  the  increased  perspiratory  action  of  the  skin  due  to  muscu- 
lar exercise,  often  in  the  midst  of  dirty  surroundings,  much  more 
subject  to  dirt  contamination,  and  therefore  he  requires,  if  any- 
thing, a  more  frequent  change  of  underclothing,  and  likewise 
more  facilities  for  bodily  ablutions. 

I  shall  again  point  this  out  and  discuss  the  needs  of  the  laboring 
man  later  on  in  speaking  of  people's  baths,  baths  in  tenement 
houses  and  those  in  factories.  (See  Chapter  IX.)  That  we  are 
far  from  having  reached  anything  like  perfection  in  this  respect  is 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  BATHING  13 

sufficiently  attested  by  the  common  condition  of  the  air  in  tene- 
ments, in  lodging  houses,  in  street  and  elevated  railroad  cars,  and 
on  ferry  boats,  in  schoolrooms,  theaters,  and  places  of  worship. 
The  organic  emanations  due  to  malodorous  clothing  or  bedding 
are  everywhere  painfully  apparent.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  matter  of 
doubt  what  causes  the  largest  amount  of  air  pollution  in  a  hall 
crowded  with  human  beings,  whether  the  products  of  combustion 
of  illuminants  and  fuel  for  heat,  or  those  of  respiration,  or  finally, 
those  due  to  the  perspiration  and  the  action  of  the  skini 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS 

HAVING  explained  in  the  last  chapter  the  different  objects  of 
bathing,  and  the  functions  of  the  skin,  which  was  necessary  in 
order  to  obtain  a  thorough  understanding  of  one  of  the  chief 
objects  of  bathing,  I  will  now  briefly  review  the  different  kinds, 
types  and  forms  of  baths  and  of  bathing  appliances. 
Baths  may  be  classified  as  follows: 

(a)   According  to  the  medium  in  which  the  body  is  immersed, 

or  which  is  applied  to  the  body. 
(6)    According  to  the  temperature  of  the  medium. 

(c)  According  to  the  object  of  the  bath. 

(d)  According  to   the  form   of   the   bathing   appliance,   the 

manner  of  application  and  the  parts  bathed. 

(e)  According  to  the  location  of  the  baths. 

A.  As  regards  the  substances  used  for   bathing  the  body  or 
parts  of  the  same,  the  most  universally  used  medium  is  ordinary 
water,  which  may  be  either  fresh  or  salt;  next  in  frequency  are 
hot  air  and  the  vapor  of  steam.     One  or  more  of  these  agencies 
are  employed  in  baths  taken  for  their  cleansing  effect,  as  well 
as  in  all  baths  taken  for  the  sake  of  the  general  care  of  the  body, 
or  for   healthful   exercise.     The   use   of   other   media   is   almost 
entirely  restricted  to  medical  baths,  and  includes  not  only  water 
charged  with  salts,  or  with  metals  or  gases,  such  as  the  various 
mineral  spring  waters,  but  also  oil,  mud,  sand,  brine,  sunlight, 
air,  electric  light  and  electric  currents. 

The  water  supply  required  for  baths  is  discussed  further  in 
Chapter  XVII. 

B.  According  to  the  temperature,  we  can  distinguish  in  a  general 
way  between  warm  baths,  cold  baths,  and  general  baths  of  an 
average  temperature,  which  are  neither  hot  nor  cold. 

14 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS  15 

To  the  latter  belong  the  great  mass  of  baths  taken  for  the 
sake  of  their  cleaning  action,  or  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
a  mildly  exhilarating  effect. 

The  cold  bath  is  taken  for  the  sake  of  refreshment,  to  cool 
off  by  drawing  out  the  heat  from  the  body,  to  increase  the  blood 
circulation,  and,  after  a  warm  bath,  to  prevent  catching  cold,  as 
the  cold  water  causes  the  pores  to  contract  and  to  close  up. 

Warm  baths,  on  the  other  hand,  are  taken  to  soothe  local  pain, 
such  as  rheumatism,  or  to  promote  exudation,  and  sometimes 
for  cleanliness ;  they  often  have  a  slightly  weakening  or  debilitating 
effect  upon  the  system. 

Between  these  three  kinds  lie  a  great  many  varieties,  such  as 
the  excessively  cold,  the  cold,  the  moderately  cool,  the  slightly 
cool,  the  tepid,  the  warm  and  the  hot  baths.* 

In  order  to  be  more  specific  as  regards  the  degrees  of  tempera- 
ture of  these  respective  varieties  of  baths,  I  give  herewith  the 
following  statement: 

Excessively  cold 40  to    50°  Fahr. 

Cold 50  to    60°  " 

Moderately  cool 60  to    70°  " 

Slightly  cool 70  to    80°  " 

Tepid 80  to    95°  " 

Warm 95  to  105°  " 

Hot 105  to  120°  " 

Higher  temperatures  than  those  given  occur  only  in  the  Turkish 
and  Russian  baths,  where  the  heat  sometimes  reaches  from  130° 
to  200°  Fahrenheit. 

The  usual  means  for  heating  the  water  for  various  baths  are 
discussed  in  Chapter  XVII. 

C.  According  to  their  purpose,  baths,  as  I  have  already  men- 
tioned, are  divided  in  a  general  way  in  baths  taken  for  cleansing, 
refreshment,  exercise  and  preservation  of  health,  or  prevention 
of  disease. 

Baths  for  cleansing  comprise  warm  and  cold  tub  baths,  tepid 

*  Regarding  the  hot  baths  of  the  Japanese  see  the  Appendix. 


16  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

douches,  showers  and  sprays,  rain  baths,  sitz  baths,  hip  baths, 
and  foot  baths. 

Baths  for  refreshing,  hardening  and  cooling  the  body,  and 
for  the  general  maintenance  of  health  comprise  cold  ablutions, 
sponge  baths,  river,  lake  and  sea  baths,  and  Turkish  baths. 

Baths  for  bodily  exercise  are  taken  in  swimming  pools  of  large 
bath  houses,  and  during  the  summer  time  at  the  river,  lake,  sea- 
shore, and  in  surf  baths. 

Curative,  therapeutic  or  medical  baths  comprise  a  great  number 
of  varieties.  Some  of  these  are  artificial  medicated  baths,  taken 
in  a  liquid  or  vapor,  designed  to  produce  a  curative  effect  by 
virtue  of  some  medical  medium  used  with  the  water  or  vapor. 
Of  others  I  mention:  air  and  sunlight  baths,  Russian  and  Turkish 
vapor  baths,  mud  baths,  sand  and  oil  baths,  pine-needle  baths, 
sulphur  and  brine  baths,  mineral  spring  baths,  hot  spring  baths 
or  thermal  baths,  electric  and  galvanic  baths,  massage  baths, 
hydropathic  baths,  comprising  wet  sheet  packs,  sitz  and  hip 
baths,  ascending,  descending  and  side  douches,  or  combinations 
of  these. 

The  Russian  bath  is  a  kind  of  bath  much  employed  in  Russia, 
and  introduced  from  there  to  other  countries.  It  resembles  in 
principle  the  ancient  Turkish  baths,  but  differs  from  the  latter 
in  that  the  subject,  after  the  exposure  to  the  influence  of  very  hot 
vapor,  with  the  attendant  kneading,  bathing,  etc.,  is  suddenly 
and  violently  cooled  by  means  of  a  jet  of  ice-cold  water. 

The  Turkish  bath  is  a  bath  introduced  from  the  East,  in  which 
the  subject,  after  having  undergone  copious  perspiration  in  a 
heated  room,  is  subjected  to  various  processes,  as  soaping,  wash- 
ing, kneading,  shampooing,  and  ultimately  proceeds  to  an  outer 
apartment,  where  he  is  placed  on  a  couch  to  cool  off  gradually. 

The  physiological  effect  of  baths  upon  persons  depends  upon 
a  number  of  factors,  such  as  the  mode  and  frequency  of  applica- 
tion, the  temperature  of  the  bath,  the  duration  of  same,  etc.  In 
some  baths  the  tonic  and  stimulating  effect  is  marked,  others  have 
a  distinct  soothing  and  sedative  effect;  others,  again,  are  adminis- 
tered for  their  sudorific  and  sweat-producing  effects,  or  for  their 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS  17 

beneficial  action  in  drawing  out  heat  and  reducing  the  tempera- 
ture; finally,  in  many  baths  the  desired  effect  is  simply  cleanliness. 

D.  Baths  may  be  classified  according  to  the  kind  and  shape  of 
the  bathing  appliance,  according  to  the  parts  of  the  body  bathed, 
and  according  to  the  manner  of  application  of  the  water. 

According  to  the  shape  and  dimensions  of  the  bathing  fixture, 
we  distinguish  in  a  general  way  between  single  and  common  baths. 
Single  baths  include  the  tub  baths,  sponge  baths,  douches,  needle 
baths  and  showers;  common  baths  include  small  swimming 
pools,  or  piscinae,  large  swimming  baths,  river  and  sea  baths, 
and  the  air  and  sun,  vapor  and  hot-air  baths. 

Some  of  the  forms  of  the  common  baths  are  more  or  less  open 
to  the  objection  of  a  possible  contagion  of  the  bathers,  though 
the  larger  the  bathing  appliance  is,  and  the  more  frequently  its 
water  is  changed,  the  less  danger  exists  of  contamination  or  skin 
disease. 

According  to  the  parts  of  the  body  immersed  or  bathed,  we 
distinguish  between  full  baths,  half  baths,  foot  baths,  hip  and 
sitz  baths,  arm,  eye  and  bidet  baths. 

A  third  subdivision  naturally  arises  by  considering  the  various 
appliances  or  fixtures  by  means  of  which  a  bath  is  taken.  In 
some  baths  water  is  simply  poured  over  the  body,  as  in  sponge 
baths,  douche  and  needle  baths,  and  in  rain  baths;  in  other  baths 
or  bathing  appliances  the  entire  body,  except  the  head,  is  im- 
mersed in  water.  This,  in  a  broader  sense,  includes  the  plunge 
bath,  the  swimming  pool,  and  the  river  and  sea  baths.  In  a 
restricted  sense  it  includes  only  those  appliances,  called  bath- 
tubs, in  which  the  bather  sits  or  lies  down,  but  cannot  otherwise 
alter  his  position. 

The  simplest  form  of  bath  consists  in  the  ablution  of  the  whole 
body  with  cold  or  tepid  water  by  means  of  a  sponge.  This  is 
the  ordinary,  so-called  sponge  bath,  and  where  other  bathing 
facilities  are  lacking,  this  should  be  taken  daily.  Many  persons, 
however,  restrict  the  daily  ablution  to  the  exposed  parts  of  the 
body,  viz.,  the  face  and  the  hands,  while  other  parts  of  the  body 
receive  a  washing  only  at  rare  intervals.  The  wet  sponge  should 


18         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

be  applied  to  face,  neck  and  bust;  to  the  arm  pits,  arms  and 
hands;  and  also  to  the  groins  and  the  feet,  where  the  skin  per- 
spires more  freely.  In  another  form  of  sponge  bath  the  bather 
stands  in  a  large  shallow  tub,  and  water  is  poured  over  his  entire 
body,  generally  from  a  large  sponge. 

Showers,  Douches  and  Sprays  —  Water  may  be  applied  to  the 
body,  either  for  refreshment  or  for  cleansing,  by  means  of  douches, 
showers  and  sprays.  The  spray  may  be  descending,  ascending 
or  coming  from  the  side,  and  it  also  has  different  names  according 
to  the  part  of  the  body  to  which  it  is  applied. 

The  words  "douche"  and  "shower"  are  often  used  indis- 
criminately, but  in  order  to  be  correct,  one  should  distinguish 
between  them.  A  douche  consists  of  a  compact,  solid,  descending 
stream  of  water  of  varying  size  and  force,  whereas  in  the  shower 
or  spray  the  water  issues  through  numerous  small  apertures,  in 
a  more  or  less  finely  divided  stream,  under  a  moderate  pressure, 
and  from  either  a  sprinkler-shaped  or  a  ring-shaped  shower. 

The  douche  is  very  intense  in  action  and  is  not  used  to  any 
great  extent  in  ordinary  bathing,  but  on  account  of  its  frictional 
impulse  it  is  much  used  in  hydrotherapeutic  baths. 

The  ordinary  spray  or  shower  is  very  popular  with  bathers,  and 
there  are  not  only  head  showers,  but  also  side  sprays  and  upward 
jets.  In  the  so-called  needle  bath  we  find  a  combination  of  all 
these,  applied  in  minute  jets  to  the  whole  body  by  a  series  of 
vertical  and  horizontal  perforated  ring  tubes. 

The  showers  are  either  fixed  showers  or  else  hand  sprays  operated 
by  the  bather  or  by  the  attendants.  The  overhead  shower  may 
be  fixed  so  as  to  give  a  vertical  descending  stream  of  water,  or 
more  frequently  nowadays  it  is  placed  inclined,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  water  from  striking  the  head  of  the  bather. 

This  last  special  form  of  shower  is  commonly  designated  as 
the  "rain  bath"  and  owing  to  its  importance  it  will  receive  sepa- 
rate discussion  hereafter,  and  we  shall  learn  that  it  is  the  best 
form  of  cleansing  bath  for  the  masses.  (See  Chapter  IV.) 

All  of  the  appliances  mentioned  are  generally  arranged  to 
supply  either  warm  or  cold  water  to  the  body,  but  very  often  the 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS  19 

shower  is  merely  fitted  up  with  cold  water,  in  connection  with  a 
tub  bath,  taken  for  cleansing  purposes,  it  being  a  good  practice 
to  end  a  warm  bath  with  a  moderately  cold  shower,  which  closes 
the  pores  of  the  skin  and  thus  prevents  the  person  bathing  from 
catching  cold. 

A  modification  of  the  shower  or  douche,  in  which  hot  and  cold 
water  are  used  alternately,  is  called  the  "Scotch"  douche. 

Bathtubs  —  Bathtubs,  or  tubs  to  bathe  in,  are  movable 
receptacles  or  else  permanently  fixed  or  stationary  plumbing 
fixtures,  of  sufficient  length  and  width  and  of  proper  shape  to 
enable  a  person  to  immerse  the  body  in  water,  for  washing  and 
bathing  purposes.  Generally,  the  tubs  are  provided  with  waste 
and  overflow  pipes,  hot  and  cold  supply  pipes,  plug  and  chain  or 
waste  valve,  and  single  or  combination  bibbs. 

Bathtub  fixtures  are  either  set  directly  on  the  floor,  or  they 
are  raised  on  legs,  blocks  or  cradles,  or  else  they  are  sunk  into 
the  floor.  In  a  bathtub  the  bather  sits  erect,  or  reclines,  but 
he  cannot  move  about  as  in  the  larger  bathing  pools. 

The  maintenance  of  cleanliness  of  tubs  and  hygienic  considera- 
tions generally  require  that  their  interior  surface  be  of  smooth 
and  non-absorbent  material,  and  that  they  have  all  the  corners 
well  rounded.  The  rougher  the  surface  of  a  tub,  the  more  difficult 
it  is  to  remove  dirt  and  soap. 

There  are  a  great  many  varieties  of  bathtubs,  differing  in 
shape,  size  and  material.  We  have  already  mentioned  the  full 
tubs,  in  which  the  body  may  be  immersed  up  to  the  neck,  and 
special  forms  intended  for  the  bathing  of  parts  only  of  the  body, 
such  as  the  sitz  bath,  the  bidet,  the  foot  bath  and  others.  To 
these  belong  also  the  cleansing  tubs  arranged  in  modern  swimming 
baths  so  that  bathers  may  take  a  thorough  ablution  with  soap 
and  warm  water  before  they  are  permitted  to  enter  the  swimming 
pool.  (See  under  swimming  baths.) 

Historically  interesting  are  the  fine  tubs  of  the  Romans,  which 
were  cut  out  of  a  single  block  of  polished  granite  or  marble. 
Some  of  the  French  kings  had  placed  in  their  palaces  marble 
baths  of  great  splendor.  In  taking  a  bath  in  these  tubs  it  was 


20 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


usual  to  place  in  the  tub  a  linen  sheet,  as  the  sides  were  cold  and 
hot  water  was  not  very  abundant  at  that  time;  this  custom  has 
remained  in  France  up  to  the  present  day. 

The  marble  tubs  were  not  only  cold  to  bathe  in,  but  they  were 
quite  expensive,  and  later  on  tubs  were  made  of  wood  and  of 


FIG.  1.    SOFA.  BATH. 


metal.  The  French  furniture  makers  of  past  centuries  designed 
some  curious  varieties  known  as  "sofa  baths,"  of  which  Fig.  1 
shows  an  illustration. 


FIG.  2.     SLIPPER  BATH. 

Another  very  quaint  and    out-of-date    form    of    bathtub  was 
the  so-called  "slipper  bath,"  see  Fig.  2.     It  consisted  of  a  tub  in 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS  21 

shape  very  much  like  a  shoe,  which  was  partly  covered  at  the 
top.  In  such  a  tub  the  bather  sat  in  an  erect  position,  and  the 
object  of  the  covering  was  not  only  to  protect  the  bather,  but 
also  to  prevent  the  spilling  of  water,  and  it  enabled  a  person  to 
take  a  "soaking  bath,"  as  required  by  some  medical  practitioners. 
Such  slipper  baths  may  at  this  day  be  seen  in  the  southern  part 
of  France.  Benjamin  Franklin  is  said  to  have  taken  such  slipper 
baths.  "Franklin  differed  from  his  own  generation  in  not  dread- 
ing water.  Not  merely  did  he  approve  of  water  internally,  but 
externally  as  well.  Swimming,  he  maintained,  was  one  of  the 
most  healthful  and  agreeable  exercises  in  the  world.  He  also 
claimed  that  a  warm  bath,  by  cleansing  and  purifying  the  skin, 
was  found  very  salutary.  In  the  year  1778,  when  suffering  from 
a  cutaneous  trouble,  he  took  a  hot  bath  twice  a  week,  two  hours 
at  a  time,  with  the  utmost  benefit.  In  the  last  years  of  his  life, 
when  suffering  from  a  complication  of  maladies,  he  used  a  warm 
bath  every  day  in  a  bathing  vessel  said  to  be  a  curiosity.  It  was 
of  copper,  in  the  form  of  a  slipper.  He  sat  in  the  heel,  and  his 
legs  went  into  the  vamp;  on  the  instep  he  had  a  place  to  fix  his 
books,  and  in  this  bath  he  sat  and  enjoyed  himself.  Would  it 
not  be  a  capital  subject  for  a  historical  painting  —  the  doctor 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  Council  Board  in  his  bathing  slipper?" 
(Quoted  from  Paul  Leicester  Ford's  Essay  on  "The  Many-sided 
Franklin,"  The  Century  Co.,  1898.) 

At  the  present  day  the  term  "slipper  bath"  is  quite  commonly 
used  in  England  to  designate  the  tub  baths  of  the  public  bath 
houses. 

The  older  patterns  of  bathtubs  had  the  sides  tapering  both  in 
plan  and  from  the  top  downwards,  but  all  modern,  so-called 
French  shape  tubs  have  parallel  sides,  and  afford  considerable 
more  room  to  the  bather.  The  head  end  of  the  tub  is  made 
semi-circular  in  plan  and  sloped;  but  sometimes  both  ends  are 
sloped  and  built  symmetrical  as  in  the  so-called  Roman-shaped 
tubs.  The  length  of  bathtubs  varies  from  4^  to  6£  feet,  the 
width  varies  from  22  to  32  inches,  and  according  to  the  inside 
depth  of  water  the  tub  is  either  a  shallow  tub  or  a  deep  tub.  The 


22  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

latter  form  is  preferred  for  tubs  on  board  of  steamships,  for  obvious 
reasons. 

There  are  also  bathtubs  made  of  odd  shapes,  some  having  a 
raised  seat  at  the  head  end  of  the  tub,  others  having  the  head 
end  enlarged  to  a  circle  for  the  purpose  of  affording  plenty  of 
room  for  stout  people. 

Bathtubs  are  manufactured  of  a  variety  of  materials.  Wooden 
tubs  are  but  rarely  used,  except  for  certain  medical  baths  where 
the  water  is  charged  with  salts  or  minerals,  for  instance  sulphur 
baths,  also  for  galvanic  baths.  While  wooden  tubs  are  cheap, 
they  do  not  last  long  and  soon  become  leaky  when  alternately 
wet  and  dry.  Wood  also  absorbs  filth,  and  when  kept  wet  it 
soon  rots  away. 

Cheaper  metal  tubs  are  made  of  zinc,  whereas  the  better  class 
of  tubs  are  made  of  the  more  expensive  copper  metal.  The 
usual  American  so-called  "copper  tubs"  are  really  wooden 
boxes  lined  with  varying  weights  of  tinned  and  planished  copper 
sheets,  whereas  English  and  Continental  copper  tubs  are  heavy 
metal  tubs,  standing  free  and  therefore  requiring  no  wooden 
casing  for  support.  Copper  tubs  are  made  sometimes  from 
polished  red  metal  sheets,  but  more  often  the  copper  is  tinned, 
or  sometimes  nickel-plated.  After  some  use  copper  and  zinc 
tubs  may  be  made  to  look  quite  inviting  by  painting  the  inside 
with  a  special  bath  enamel  paint.  In  England  japanned  enameled 
copper  tubs  are  sold  in  which  the  enamel  is  put  on  in  a  similar  way 
to  the  enamel  of  the  American  iron  tubs. 

Cast-iron  bathtubs  may  be  either  painted,  galvanized  or  porce- 
lain-enameled. The  latter  process  has  now  reached  a  high  degree 
of  perfection,  and  enameled  iron  tubs  are  now  obtainable  which 
are  in  appearance  and  general  durability  nearly  equal  to  the  more 
expensive  soild  porcelain  tubs.  Formerly  iron  bathtubs  were 
provided  with  a  polished  wooden  top  rim,  but  nowadays  tubs 
are  exclusively  used  which  have  a  glazed  roll  rim,  thus  doing 
away  entirely  with  all  surrounding  or  encasing  woodwork,  and 
standing  free  on  the  tiled  or  cemented  floor. 

A  modification  of  the  metal   tub   is   the  "steel-clad"  bathtub, 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS  23 

consisting  of  a  shell  of  steel  lined  with  planished  tinned  copper. 
Bathtubs  were  also,  for  a  short  time,  manufactured  of  indurated 
fiber,  and  painted  on  the  inside  with  a  special  enamel,  but  they 
were  not  found  durable.  Tubs  have  also  been  manufactured  of 
cast  aluminum. 

The  modern  fine  glazed  porcelain  or  fire  clay  tubs  are  very 
solid,  durable  and  absolutely  clean  and  sanitary.  Formerly 
such  luxurious  tubs  were  made  in  England  exclusively,  but  since 
a  few  years  the  American  potteries  have  taken  up  the  manu- 
facture of  solid  porcelain  ware  and  turn  out  goods  comparing 
very  favorably  with  the  imported  bathtubs. 

Porcelain  tubs  require  much  more  hot  water  than  copper  tubs, 
and  this  difference  is  often  quite  appreciably  felt  in  private  houses, 
where  the  hot-water  supply  comes  from  the  kitchen  boiler.  It 
has,  accordingly,  become  customary  to  provide  a  larger  special 
hot-water  tank,  heated  by  a  special  hot-water  heater.  In  large 
bathing  establishments,  where  the  tubs  are  in  more  or  less  con- 
tinuous use,  and  hence  do  not  become  chilled  during  the  intervals 
between  bathing,  this  is  not  so  noticeable. 

Solid  porcelain  bathtubs  were  formerly  finished  on  the  top 
edge  either  with  a  polished  hardwood  or  with  a  marble  capping, 
but  the  modern  tubs  always  have  glazed  roll  rims.  They  either 
stand  free  or  are  keyed  into  the  tiled  wall. 

Other  varieties  of  bathtubs  are  the  tile-lined  tubs  and  those 
lined  with  marble  or  slate,  but  they  have  the  drawback  that  the 
joints  may  leak,  and  that  much  dirt  collects  in  the  square  corners 
and  in  the  numerous  joints. 

Occasionally  marble  and  granite  stone  tubs  are  used,  which 
are  cut  out  of  a  solid  block  of  stone,  but  they  are  very  expensive, 
clumsy  and  heavy,  and  nothing  really  can  compare  in  cleanliness 
and  sanitary  qualities  with  the  solid  glazed  porcelain  tub. 

Much  use  is  made  in  German  hospitals  of  tubs  manufactured 
of  annealed  glass,  which  seem  to  have  proven  durable  and  sanitary. 

A  special  form  of  bathing  appliance,  much  advertised  abroad, 
and  used  in  some  houses  on  the  Continent,  but  not  as  a  stationary 
fixture,  or  connected  with  the  plumbing  pipes  is  the  so-called 


24 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


"wave  bath"  (Wellen  oder  Schaukel-Bad),  Fig.  3,  which  by  the 
motion  of  the  bather  causes  the  water  to  impart  to  the  body  a 


FIG.  3.    PORTABLE  WAVE  BATH. 

feeling  similar  to  that  of  the  waves  in  the  ocean  surf  bath.  (See 
Chapter  XVI,  Fig.  113  a  and  b.)  The  advantage  is  claimed  for 
these  forms  of  baths  that  water  in  motion  acts  more  exhilarating 
than  quiet  water. 

Originally  such  a   "mechanical"  bathtub  was   the  invention 


FIG.  4.    MECHANICAL  WAVE  BATH. 

of  a   certain   French   nobleman.     In   recent  years   a   somewhat 
similar  device  has  been  manufactured  in  Germany  (see  Fig.  4), 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS 


25 


FIG.  5.    VIEW  OF  PLUNGE  BATH. 


FIG.  6.    VIEW  OF  PLUNGE. 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


in  which,  however,  the  wave  motion  is  effected  by  special  me- 
chanical means.  (See  also  Chapter  XVI.) 

Bathing  Pools,  Plunges  or  "Piscina"  —  During  the  Middle 
Ages  bathtubs  consisted  often  of  larger  pools  called  "piscinae," 
which  were  either  oblong  or  round  in  shape,  and  which  were  sunk 
into  the  floor,  and  entered  by  means  of  one  or  more  steps.  They 
were  sometimes  built  in  marble  or  granite,  and  two  or  sometimes 
several  persons  bathed  in  them  simultaneously.  Similar  modern 
pools  or  plunges  are  used  in  some  of  the  medical  baths  of  Europe, 
and  are  built  of  brick  or  cement  masonry  and  lined  with  tiles 
or  marble.  In  Turkish  baths  there  is  often  provided  a  kind  of 
plunge  bath  for  cooling  off  the  body  after  sweating.  (See  Figs.  5 
and  6.) 

Such  bathing  pools  form  the  intermediate  step  between  bath- 
tubs and  the  larger  swimming  pools. 

Immersion  pools  are  also  found  in  the  Baptist  churches,  and  in 
some  of  the  older  synagogues  purifying  baths  for  the  women  in 
the  form  of  pools  were  built  in  conformity  with  religious  require- 
ments. 


FIG.  7.    A  SWIMMING  BATH. 

Swimming  Baths  —  Swimming  baths  (Fig.  7)   are  natural  or 
artificial  pools,  tanks  or  basins,  either  open  or  covered,  and  filled 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS  27 

with  water,  intended  for  congregate  bathing,  particularly,  though 
not  exclusively,  for  swimmers. 

Swimming  baths  are  of  two  kinds,  viz.: 

(1)  Those,  erected  in  rivers,  lajces  or  at  the  seashore,  which 

being  open  and  unprotected  are  available  only  during 
the  warm  season  of  the  year.  (See  Chapter  XIV.) 

(2)  Artificial    pools,    basins    or   tanks,   generally   located   in 

covered  structures,  in  which  the  water  is  usually 
moderately  warmed  during  the  cold  season,  so  as  to 
enable  them  to  be  kept  open  and  used  the  year  round. 
(See  Chapter  VI.) 

Both  kinds  of  swimming  baths  are  not  intended  for  cleansing 
purposes,  but  are  adapted  only  for  pleasurable  and  healthful 
muscular  exercise  of  body  and  limbs.  Their  object  is  rather  to 
maintain  or  improve  health  by  hardening  the  body.  Incidentally 
they  offer  amusement  and  recreation,  and  the  open-air  swimming 
baths,  in  particular,  serve  in  summer  time  for  cooling  off  and  for 
the  refreshing  of  the  body. 

It  is  an  indisputable  fact  that  in  the  summer,  and  particularly 
during  heated  terms,  people  take  a  bath  in  the  river  or  at  the  sea- 
shore, not  from  a  desire  to  become  clean,  but  for  the  sake  of 
enjoying  the  practice  of  swimming,  or  for  the  cooling,  invigorating 
and  exhilarating  effect  of  such  a  bath.  The  tonic  effect  of  river 
and  ocean  baths  is  largely  due  to  the  strong  impact  of  the  water  in 
motion  (currents,  waves,  surf),  which  is  much  more  exhilarating 
than  quiet  water,  and  advantages  incidental  to  them  are  the 
breathing  of  pure  air  and  ozone  at  the  seaside.  Whatever  cleanli- 
ness of  the  body  may  be  attained  in  a  river  or  ocean  bath  is  merely 
accidental  and  concomitant. 

In  the  same  way  the  swimming  pools  or  basins  in  the  public 
and  the  Turkish  bath  establishments  are  not,  in  any  sense,  in- 
tended as  cleansing  baths,  and  the  use  of  soap  in  them 
should  never  be  permitted.  They,  therefore,  require  the  pro- 
vision of  special  foot  baths  and  showers,  where  all  bathers,  without 


28  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

exception,  must  take  a  cleansing  bath  before  they  are  permitted 
to  enter  the  plunge.  Even  when  this  precaution  is  observed, 
each  bather  helps  to  a  certain  extent  to  pollute  the  water,*  and 
unless  the  supply  is  continually  and  constantly  changed,  the 
water  is  liable  to  become  contaminated.  From  time  to  time  it 
is,  therefore,  advisable  to  empty  the  entire  contents  of  the  pool 
in  order  to  clean  the  sides  and  the  bottom  of  the  basin.  For 
these  reasons  swimming  baths  require  a  very  large  supply  of 
water,  and  they  are  in  every  respect  expensive  to  maintain. 

However  excellent  the  plan  may  be  of  establishing  people's 
rain  baths  for  personal  cleanliness  and  hygiene,  it  is  well 
to  recognize  also  the  need  of  well-arranged  swimming  baths 
for  pleasure  and  general  health  in  large  cities,  particularly 
where  floating  baths  on  the  river  front  are  objectionable  be- 
cause of  the  discharge  of  sewage  near  their  location.  (See 
Chapter  VIII.) 

In  this  respect  even  small  European  cities  are  far  better  off 
than  the  large  American  cities. 

Vapor  and  Steam  Baths  —  In  hot  dry  air,  vapor  and  steam 
baths,  or  so-called  Russian  (Fig.  8)  and  Turkish  baths,  the  bather 
is  surrounded  by  moist  air  of  104°  to  132°  Fahr.,  and  in  the 
Turkish  bath  by  dry  air  of  a  high  temperature  (from  140°  to  200° 
Fahr.).  This  opens  up  the  pores  of  the  skin  and  causes  it 
to  perspire  profusely,  and  in  this  way  secures  a  thorough  clean- 
liness of  the  body.  These  baths  are  followed  and  assisted  by 
shampooing,  kneading  the  skin,  spraying,  and  terminate  with  a 
thorough  drying,  dry  rubbing  or  with  massage  and  rest. 

Such  baths  are  outside  of  the  object  of  this  book  and  therefore 
cannot  be  discussed  in  detail. 

*  Where  a  large  number  of  bathers  bathe  simultaneously  in  swimming  basins, 
it  is  best  to  have  fresh  water  flowing  into  them  continuously,  and  not  to  arrange 
the  warm-water  supply  on  the  circulation  system.  Stagnation  of  water  in  any 
swimming  pool  renders  it  less  inviting,  and  is  certain  to  create  ultimately  un- 
sanitary conditions.  In  open  river  and  sea  baths,  water  is  constantly  changed 
owing  to  the  motion  of  the  water  (currents,  tides,  waves),  and  in  artificial  tanks 
a  like  change  of  the  water  must  be  artificially  provided  to  guard  against  the  danger 
of  propagation  of  skin  or  eye  diseases. 


THE  DIFFERENT  FORMS  OF  BATHS 


29 


FIG.  8.    VIEW  IN  TURKISH  BATH,  IN  GUENTZBATH,  DRESDEN. 

E.   According   to   their   location   we   may,   finally,  distinguish 
between 

(1)  Baths  in  private  houses; 

(2)  Baths  in  tenement  houses; 

(3)  Public  bath  houses; 

(4)  People's  baths; 

(5)  Baths  in  factories  and  industrial  establishments; 

(6)  School  baths; 

(7)  Baths  in  military  barracks,  jails,  prisons; 

(8)  Hospital  baths; 

(9)  Baths  attached  to  gymnasia  and  clubhouses; 

(10)  Hotel  and  barber-shop  baths; 

(11)  River  baths; 

(12)  Sea  and  surf  baths; 

(13)  Air  and  sun  baths; 

and  (14)  mineral  spring,  curative  and  therapeutic  baths. 
Many  of  these  baths  will  be  referred  to  in  further  chapters. 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  * 

THE  rain  bath  is  the  most  important  form  of  cleansing  bath, 
from  a  hygienic  point  of  view,  hence  is  deserving  of  special  at- 
tention. Since  the  first  introduction,  about  the  year  1883,  of  the 
so-called  "rain  baths"  in  Germany,  I  have  followed  with  keen 
interest  and  close  attention  the  gradual  development  and  rapid 
spread  of  this  new  system  of  baths.  It  was,  later  on,  my  good 
fortune  to  become  connected  with  the  planning  and  construction 
of  many  of  the  earlier  rain  baths  installed  in  this  country. 

The  form  of  shower  or  spray  which  is  used  in  the  rain  bath 
is  not,  in  itself,  new,  for  it  has  long  been  used  in  connection  with 
the  common  bathtub,  and  it  has  also  been  used  separately  in 
isolated  cases,  for  instance,  as  an  adjunct  to  swimming  and  Turkish 
baths,  or  in  gymnasia  and  athletic  clubhouses. 

In  the  modern  "rain  bath"  system,  however,  as  recently  ex- 
tensively advocated  and  applied,  tubs  are  entirely  abolished,  simple 
spray  or  shower  baths  being  substituted  for  the  same,  and  being 
installed  in  the  bath  compartments  as  a  distinct  and  independent 
form  of  bath.  While  such  a  rain  bath  can,  of  course,  also  be 
used  in  bathrooms  of  private  houses  (see  Fig.  14,  Chapter  V), 
it  is  for  public  baths,  baths  in  hospitals  and  other  institutions, 
for  manufacturing  establishments,  for  schools,  and  for  people's 
baths  that  the  rain  bath  is  specially  adapted. 

One  feature  of  construction,  which  is  novel  and  of  much  im- 
portance, is  that  the  shower  or  spray  is  placed  at  an  inclined  angle 
in  the  rain  bath,  the  object  being  to  avoid  a  vertical  stream  from 
the  shower  striking  the  head  of  the  bather,  which  to  many  persons 
is  quite  disagreeable.  In  the  new  form  of  rain  bath  the  bather 
stands  erect  under  the  shower,  which  is  inclined  in  such  a  way 

*  Reprinted  from  the  American  Architect  of  February,  1894. 
30 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH 


31 


SECTION 


WASTE 


PLAN 


WARM  WATER  APPARATUS 


$&  WASTE 

INCLINED  DOL 


U    J     U 

HOOKS 


PIG.  9.    PLAN  AND  SECTION  OF  RAIN  BATH  COMPARTMENT. 


32         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

that  the  lukewarm  water  strikes  the  body  only  from  the  neck 
downwards  (see  Fig.  9,  and  also  Fig.  26b,  Chapter  VII),  and 
the  head  is  not  wetted,  except  when  the  bather  purposely  places 
the  same  under  the  descending  shower  of  water. 

The  advocates  of  this  novel  method  of  bath  construction  claim 
the  following  chief  advantages  for  it  as  against  bath  houses  fitted 
up  with  the  usual  forms  of  bathtubs: 

(1)  The   first   outlay   for   construction    is    considerably   re- 

duced, because  the  sprays  are  cheaper  than  bathtubs. 
Likewise  are  the  running  expenses  for  maintenance 
and  repairs  reduced,  because  the  apparatus  is  simple 
and  not  liable  to  get  out  of  order,  because  sprays  last 
longer  than  copper  or  enameled  iron  bathtubs,  and 
because  repairs,  if  needed,  are  not  considerable  in 
extent. 

(2)  In  public  bathing  establishments  the  shower  or  rain  bath 

system  is  much  more  economical  in  management  than 
the  tub  system,  for  the  spray  or  shower  bath  is  always 
ready  for  use  and  requires  but  very  little  attendance. 
No  time  is  lost  as  in  the  filling  of  the  ordinary  bath- 
tubs, and  in  the  subsequent  emptying,  cleansing  and 
scrubbing  of  the  sides  of  the  tub  after  each  bath. 

(3)  The  spray  or  rain  bath,  while  more  efficient,  consumes 

less  time  in  application,  consequently  a  larger  number 
of  people  can  take  baths  in  a  given  time  than  where 
bathing  is  carried  on  in  tubs. 

(4)  The  rain  bath  requires  less  space  in  the  planning  of  a 

bath  house  as  compared  with  the  same  building  when 
fitted  up  with  bathtubs.  In  other  words,  more 
bathers  can  be  accommodated  in  a  given  space. 
(4)  The  body  of  a  person  using  a  rain  bath  does  not  come  at 
all  in  contact  with  soiled  water,  as  is  the  case  in  bathing 
in  the  ordinary  bathtub,  for  in  the  rain  bath  the 
water  from  the  spray  passes  away  as  waste  water 
through  an  outlet  in  the  floor  about  as  fast  as  it  is 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  33 

delivered.  This  is  one  of  the  leading  arguments  in 
favor  of  the  new  method,  and  it  is  of  particular  im- 
portance in  the  case  of  baths  for  workingmen  or  factory 
employees,  of  baths  for  school  children,  and  of  people's 
baths  in  tenement  districts.  (See  subsequent  chapters.) 

(6)  The  mechanical  and  tonic  effect  of  the  descending  stream 

in  the  rain  bath  is  superior  to  the  tub  bath,  both  in 
thoroughly  cleansing  the  body  and  producing  a  stimu- 
lating effect  and  good  hygienic  results,  whereas  a  bath 
taken  in  a  common  bathtub,  instead  of  refreshing 
the  body,  often  has  a  debilitating  effect. 

(7)  The  rain  bath  requires  somewhat  less  water  than  a  tub 

bath,  which  consideration  is  of  importance  where 
water  is  given  to  consumers  by  meter  measurement. 
This  is  generally  the  case  in  public  baths  and  public 
institutions.  The  exact  proportion  between  the  amount 
used  in  a  bathtub  and  the  amount  needed  for  a  rain  bath 
differs  according  to  the  construction,  the  number  and 
the  size  of  the  perforations  of  the  shower  head,  the 
available  water  pressure  and  the  length  of  time  during 
which  the  shower  is  kept  running.  The  saving  of 
water  as  quoted  by  Dr.  Lassar  and  others  appears 
to  me,  however,  to  be  somewhat  exaggerated.  Ex- 
periments by  actual  meter  measurement,  carried  out 
by  me  at  the  Demilt  Dispensary,  showed  that  whereas 
the  tub  bath  (a  short  French-shaped  enameled  iron 
tub)  required  about  45  U.S.  gallons,  the  rain  bath, 
with  an  ordinary  shower  kept  running  for  three  minutes, 
required  about  22J  gallons  (7^  gallons  per  minute), 
or  in  other  words  about  one-half  the  amount  required 
for  a  tub  bath.  The  above  allowance  is,  in  reality, 
too  generous,  and  good  results  are  obtained  with 
sprays  running  from  2^  to  5  gallons.  Three  minutes 
for  each  bather  is  the  time  allowed  in  the  case  of 
military  barracks  in  Germany;  a  workman  or  me- 


34  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

chanic  would  in  all  probability,  require  the  shower 
to  run  somewhat  longer  to  effect  a  thorough  cleansing 
of  the  body,  hands  and  face  after  his  work.* 

(8)  Compared    with    the    swimming    baths,    the    rain    bath 

affords  a  greater  degree  of  privacy,  and  it  can  be 
used  both  in  summer  and  in  winter,  whereas  the  free 
swimming  baths  of  many  cities  are  only  available 
during  the  summer  season. 

(9)  Finally,  the  danger  of  communicating  disease  is  some- 

wrhat  reduced,  because  no  impure,  infectious  or  con- 
tagious matter  is  left  in  the  rain  bath,  as  may  easily 
happen  where  the  bath  attendant  is  either  hasty  or 
careless  in  the  cleansing  of  the  tub. 
******* 

What  appears  to  have  been  the  first  rain  bath  was  constructed 
as  early  as  1857,  by  Dr.  Duval,  in  a  military  barrack  at  Mar- 
seilles. 

Dr.  Alexander  Bresgen,  surgeon  in  the  Prussian  Army,  in  a 
pamphlet  on  baths,  published  in  Germany  in  1871,  was  the  first 
to  advocate  the  general  introduction  of  rain  baths  instead  of 
tub  baths  for  all  public  institutions,  enumerating  in  particular 
military  barracks,  prisons,  hospitals  and  factories.  Attached 
to  his  pamphlet  is  a  plan  of  an  octagonal  bath  house  with  sixteen 
bathing  apartments  with  overhead  inclined  douches,  in  which 
he  figures  120  soldiers  can  bathe  in  one  hour. 

The  celebrated  French  engineer  and  architect,  Toilet,  in  a 
pamphlet  published  in  1877,  and  entitled  "La  Reforme  du  Caserne- 
ment  et  les  Bains-douche,"  Paris,  1877,  submitted  plans  for  three 
types  of  rain  baths,  suitable  for  military  needs. 

In  the  Revue  d'Hygiene  for  1879,  Monsieur  Vallin  describes  a 

*  I  find  that  shower-heads,  such  as  are  largely  used  in  German  rain  baths,  are 
considerably  smaller  in  diameter,  have  a  lesser  number  of  holes,  and  holes  of 
smaller  diameter  than  used  here.  These  showers  run  on  an  average  from  2£ 
to  3  gallons  of  water  per  minute,  with  a  water  pressure  of  from  25  to  40  pounds 
per  square  inch. 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  35 

primitive  form  of  rain  bath  used  in  an  asylum  for  homeless  women 
and  children  in  Paris. 

The  first  progress  toward  the  general  use  of  rain  baths  was 
made  in  the  case  of  military  barracks  and  of  prisons.  At  the 
suggestion  of  Dr.  Munnich,  surgeon-in-chief  of  the  regiment, 
rain  baths  were  installed  in  1879  in  the  armory  of  the  Emperor 
Franz  Joseph  Regiment  of  the  Guards  in  Berlin,  the  aim  being 
to  bathe  quickly  a  large  number  of  soldiers.  Similar  baths  were 
fitted  up  in  the  armory  of  the  Infantry  Regiment  Prince  George 
in  Dresden,  where  twenty-four  soldiers  could  bathe  at  one  time 
in  a  large  bathroom,  also  for  a  cavalry  regiment  of  the  Imperial 
Guards  at  Potsdam.  In  1881  the  military  barracks  of  the  First 
Bavarian  Infantry  Regiment  at  Munich  were  furnished  with  rain 
baths.  The  well-known  military  school  at  St.  Cyr,  France,  was 
also  equipped  with  such  baths. 

In  Pettenkofer's  "Handbook  of  Hygiene,"  published  in  1882, 
Professor  Dr.  Schuster,  writing  about  military  barracks,  states  that 
experiments  with  tub  baths  for  soldiers  did  not  prove  successful: 
first,  because  the  tubs  are  expensive;  second,  because  of  the  large 
quantity  of  warm  water  required;  and  third,  because  the  time 
occupied  in  bathing  is  too  great.  His  conclusion  is  that  the  spray 
or  rain  bath  is  much  more  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  military 
service. 

Again,  for  bathing  in  prisons,  jails,  workhouses  and  houses  of 
correction,  Dr.  A.  Baer,  of  Berlin,  recommended  in  1882,  in  the 
same  handbook,  the  spray  or  rain  bath  in  preference  to  tub  baths. 
He  describes  a  prison  or  jail  in  the  City  of  Muenster  which  has 
eight  bathing  compartments  fitted  up  with  douches,  enabling 
the  bathing  of  nearly  300  prisoners  in  four  hours. 

In  the  prison  of  Rouen,  Dr.  Merry-Delabost  installed  a  large 
rain  bath,  capable  of  bathing  900  to  1,200  prisoners  in  two 
days. 

The  credit  of  having  first  advocated  the  use  of  the  rain  bath 
for  people's  or  public  baths  belongs  to  Prof.  Dr.  Oscar  Lassar, 
who  exhibited  at  the  Hygienic  Exhibition  at  Berlin,  in  1883,  the 
first  people's  rain  bath,  the  construction  and  equipment  of  which 


36  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

was  carried  out  by  the  well-known  firm  of  David  Grove  &  Co., 
of  Berlin. 

The  Berlin  Health  Exhibition  in  1883,  therefore,  may  be  said 
to  have  given  the  first  impulse  to  a  more  general  introduction  of 
this  new  form  of  bath,  and  Dr.  Lassar  ever  since  has  been  the 
champion  advocate  of  public  rain  baths  in  Germany.  The 
matter  received  renewed  vigor  and  impetus  by  the  Berlin  Ex- 
hibition for  the  Prevention  of  Accidents,  in  1889,  when  a  special 
committee  arranged  for  a  competition,  and  drew  up  a  programme 
for  the  proper  construction  and  installation  of  workingmen's 
baths  on  the  "rain  bath"  principle. 

People's  rain  baths  were  built  and  constructed  in  Vienna  in 
1887,  in  Berlin,  Frankfort  and  Magdeburg  in  1888,  in  Munich 
and  Hannover  in  1889,  in  Altona,  Breslau,  Braunschweig,  Mann- 
heim and  Mainz  in  1890,  in  Wiirzburg  in  1891,  in  Cologne, 
Duren  and  Muhlheim  in  1892,  in  Leipsic  in  1893,  and  they  are 
at  present  constantly  and  rapidly  multiplying  throughout  Ger- 
many, whereas  we  hear  little  or  nothing  of  their  use  in  England 
or  other  European  countries. 

Following  the  establishment  of  people's  rain  baths,  a  move- 
ment was  inaugurated  in  Germany  to  provide  cleansing  baths 
for  the  children  in  public  school  buildings.  Sanitarians  are  agreed 
that  the  practice  of  affording  baths  to  the  children  in  public  schools 
does  more  to  improve  the  air  of  classrooms  than  any  system  of 
artificial  ventilation.  Such  school  baths  would  prove  a  boon  to 
the  children  of  the  tenement  population  in  American  cities. 

To  Professor  Fliigge  and  to  Mayor  Merkel  of  the  university 
town  of  Gottingen  belongs  the  credit  of  having  advocated  and 
introduced  the  first  rain  baths  into  the  public  schools  of  that 
city.  In  public  schools,  where  cleanliness  of  the  body  is  so  in- 
timately connected  with  the  problem  of  schoolroom  ventilation, 
such  rain  baths  for  the  children  have  proven  very  successful,  and 
the  example  of  Gottingen  was  soon  followed  in  other  cities, 
notably  Weimar,  Sachsenhausen,  Magdeburg,  Karlsruhe,  Mainz, 
Breslau,  Frankfort  and  others  too  numerous  to  mentio'  . 

Rain  baths  were  likewise  soon  erected  or  fitted  up  in  a  great 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  37 

many  factories  and  manufacturing  establishments,  of  which  I 
will  only  mention  the  large  steel  works  of  Herr  Friedrich  Krupp, 
in  Essen. 

Neither  bathtubs  nor  swimming  tanks  are  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  workingmen  in  factories,  and  here  again  the  tepid  rain 
bath  offers  many  advantages  and  can  be  cheaply  procured,  as 
manufacturing  establishments  generally  have  an  abundance  of 
waste  or  exhaust  steam. 

Even  on  board  of  steamships  the  rain  bath  has  been  found 
useful.  I  am  informed  that  some  of  the  ships  of  the  German 
Navy,  and  likewise  some  of  the  fast  passenger  ocean  steamers 
of  the  North  German  Lloyd,  as  well  as  other  steamships,  are  fitted 
up  with  rain  baths. 

Quite  recently  rain  baths  were  introduced  into  the  United 
States,  at  the  suggestion  of  a  hydrotherapeutic  physician,  Dr. 
S.  Baruch,  of  New  York  City,  who  had  an  opportunity  to  visit 
and  inspect  some  of  the  European  baths  built  on  this  principle. 

The  first  small  American  rain  bath  was  installed  at  the  New 
York  City  Juvenile  Asylum.  Then  followed  the  larger  people's 
baths  in  Center  Market  Place,  the  public  baths  at  the  Demilt 
Dispensary,  in  the  Hebrew  Institute,  and  those  erected  by  the 
Trustees  of  the  Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  at  the  corner  of  Henry 
and  Market  Streets  in  New  York  City.  The  plans  and  the 
construction  of  the  three  last-named  baths  were  devised  and 
superintended  by  the  writer,  associated  with  Messrs.  Brunner  & 
Tryon  as  architects.  (See  Chapter  VII.)  The  writer  also  acted 
as  consulting  engineer  for  the  rain  baths  erected  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  building  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa, 
designed  by  Josselyn  &  Taylor,  architects,  and  for  many  of  the 
more  recent  public  baths  in  New  York  City. 

In  Scranton,  Pa.,  the  Pennsylvania  Oral  High  School  building 
was  provided  with  rain  baths  from  plans  of  Mr.  Theophilus  P. 
Chandler,  Jr.,  of  Philadelphia.  The  factory  of  J.  H.  Williams 
&  Co.,  manufacturers  of  drop  forgings,  in  South  Brooklyn,  near 
Hamilton  Ferry,  was  recently  fitted  up  by  its  owner  with  rain 
baths  (although  with  vertical  douches)  for  the  employees. 


38  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  value  of  rain  or  spray  baths  is  not  confined  to  people's 
baths  only.  In  hospitals  for  insane,  where  the  bathing  of  pa- 
tients in  tubs  formerly  led  to  abuses  and  involved  the  danger  of 
scalding  patients,  spray  baths  are  now  preferred.  In  all  hospitals 
for  insane  of  New  York  State  bathtubs  are  abolished,  and  spray 
baths  have  been  substituted.  They  are  placed  either  in  single 
stalls  in  the  wards  or  in  congregate  bathrooms  or  bath  houses, 
of  which  good  examples  may  be  seen  at  the  Utica  State  Hospital 
and  at  the  Long  Island  State  Hospital  at  Kings  Park,  L.I. 

The  large  bath  house  at  the  State  Hospital  for  Insane  at  Utica, 
N.Y.,  was  constructed,  in  1894,  from  plans  prepared  by  the 
writer,  and  under  his  superintendence. 

In  this  country  the  rain  bath  is  comparatively  little  known, 
except  in  some  of  the  larger  cities,  but  its  advantages  are  so  obvious 
that  the  writer  feels  confident  in  predicting  a  rapid  and  successful 
development  of  the  new  form  of  baths.  Since  the  opening  of  the 
Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  Baths,  the  writer  has  had  numerous 
inquiries  about  rain  baths  from  Philadelphia,  Chicago,  Boston, 
Cleveland  and  also  from  Southern  cities. 

It  is  sometimes  argued  that  people's  rain  baths  cannot  become 
popular  in  the  United  States,  because  in  all  large  cities,  and 
even  in  the  smaller  towns,  dwelling  houses  are  rarely  built  without 
the  convenience  of  a  bathroom.  This  can  hardly  be  considered 
a  fair  statement  of  the  existing  conditions.  The  actual  facts  in 
the  case  would  appear  to  me  to  be  as  follows:  It  is  true  that  the 
wealthy  and  the  well-to-do  classes  have  in  their  houses  one  or 
several  bathrooms,  fitted  up  with  more  or  less  luxury,  and  the 
better  class  of  the  population  have,  moreover,  access  to  the  many 
bathing  establishments  which  charge  a  high  price  of  admission, 
which  only  people  in  comfortable  circumstances  can  afford  to 
pay.  On  the  other  hand,  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  even 
in  the  houses  of  the  well-to-do  people  proper  provision  is  rarely 
made  for  servants'  baths.  Again,  the  middle  classes  who,  in 
New  York  City,  for  instance,  are  largely  compelled  to  live  in 
flats  or  apartment  houses  (the  higher-sounding  name  for  im- 
proved tenement  houses),  have,  with  rare  exceptions,  only  a 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  39 

narrow,  dark  and  generally  uninviting  bathroom,  and  the  mistake 
is,  moreover,  usually  made  by  architects  or  builders  of  locating 
the  water-closet  almost  invariably  in  the  same  room.  But  the 
poorer  class  of  our  population,  including  mechanics,  salesmen, 
clerks,  etc.,  have  rarely  any  bathing  facilities  whatever,  and  there 
are  thousands  of  tenement  houses,  especially  in  the  densely  popu- 
lated districts  of  our  large  cities,  which  do  not  afford  the  con- 
venience of  a  bath. 

People's  baths,  therefore,  would  seem  to  me  to  be  just  as  much 
needed  here  for  health  and  cleanliness  of  the  people  as  they  are 
in  Europe. 

Rain  baths,  however,  are  not  merely  suitable  for  public  or 
people's  bath  houses  in  populous  districts.  As  their  success  in 
Europe  has  fully  demonstrated,  they  are  eminently  adapted  for 
many  other  classes  of  buildings,  among  which  I  will  mention  the 
following: 

(1)  Institutions,  such  as  general  hospitals,  hospitals  for  the 

insane,  hospitals  for  infectious  diseases,  orphan 
asylums,  prisons,  institutions  for  feeble-minded  chil- 
dren, for  the  blind,  etc. 

(2)  Gymnasiums,  college  buildings  and  clubhouses. 

(3)  Public  schools. 

(4)  Factories  and  manufacturing  establishments,  breweries, 

central  slaughter  houses  or  abattoirs,  etc.  * 

(5)  Military  barracks  and  armories. 

(6)  Hotels. 

(7)  Railroad  stations    for   railroad  employees,  in  particular 

for  the  engineers  and  firemen,  and  the  clerks  of  the 
railway  mail  service. 

(8)  Quarantine  establishments. 

(9)  On  board  of  merchant  steamships,  ocean  steamers  and 

men-of-war. 
******* 

The  general  arrangement  of  rain  baths  as  well  as  the  details 
of  construction  vary,  each  case  being  a  problem  in  itself.  For 


40         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

whatever  purpose  they  may  be  constructed,  the  baths  should  be 
tidy  and  neat,  kept  scrupulously  clean  and  inviting  in  appearance, 
and  well  ventilated,  heated  and  lighted.  It  will  suffice  to  mention 
briefly  a  few  of  the  more  important  features. 

The  main  bathroom  is  sometimes  divided  into  a  dressing  room 
and  a  separate  room  containing  the  showers,  or  else  the  dressing 
rooms  are  arranged  in  a  row  on  one  side  of  the  room,  whereas 
the  apartments  containing  the  sprays  are  placed  on  the  opposite 
side.  Such  arrangement  is  preferred  for  schools,  hospitals  and 
military  barracks. 

In  the  case  of  people's  baths  it  is  preferred  to  combine  the 
dressing  room  and  the  bath  proper,  separating  the  two  only  by 
means  of  a  partition  or  a  waterproof  curtain.  Each  bath  is 
generally  four  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  whereas  the  dressing 
room  is  only  four  feet  wide  and  from  three  to  five  feet  deep.  The 
floor  of  the  bath  may  consist  of  concrete  covered  with  a  final 
coat  of  pure  Portland  cement,  or  else  some  artificial  stone  floor, 
such  as  is  used  for  sidewalks,  is  laid.  The  floor  may  also  con- 
sist of  marble  mosaic  or  vitrified  tiling,  or  else  of  asphalt,  which 
is  more  impervious  to  water  than  cement,  and  is  more  agreeable 
to  the  feet  than  a  cement  floor.  The  cement  floor  is  often  covered 
in  the  dressing  room  with  a  removable  sectional  wooden  lattice 
or  gridiron  floor  to  keep  the  feet  dry,  but  such  wood  soon  rots 
and  requires  frequent  renewal.  In  all  cases  the  floor  of  the 
dressing  room  should  be  graded  toward  the  bath  compartment. 

In  many  rain  baths  the  floor  of  the  bathing  apartment  is  sunk 
or  depressed,  being  molded  in  concrete  in  the  form  of  a  basin, 
from  four  to  six  inches  deep  with  rounded  corners.  In  order  to 
make  the  basin  hold  a  few  inches  of  water,  and  thus  answer  for 
a  foot  bath,  the  number  of  holes  in  the  strainer  over  the  waste 
is  properly  adjusted  so  that  the  water  does  not  flow  away  as 
fast  as  delivered  by  the  shower,  or  else  a  standing  overflow  with 
trumpet-shaped  mouth  is  easily  arranged. 

It  is  not  easy  to  decide  what  material  is  best  adapted  for  the 
upright  partitions  or  divisions  between  the  bathing  compartments. 
A  non-absorbent  material,  such  as  opaque  and  non-transparent 


THE  MODERN  RAIN   BATH  41 

glass,  marble  or  slate  would,  of  course,  be  best  from  a  sanitary 
point  of  view,  where  economy  is  no  object.  The  partitions  may 
be  covered  with  glazed  tiles,  and  the  walls  may  be  tiled  or  faced 
with  glazed  or  enameled  brick.  Often  the  divisions  are  made 
of  corrugated  iron,  galvanized  and  afterwards  painted  with 
special  bath  enamel  paint.  The  cheapest  partitions  are  those  of, 
wood,  if  well  filled  and  oil  painted,  and  such  I  find  are  used  in 
many  of  the  people's  baths  in  Germany,  although  they  are  un- 
doubtedly inferior  in  point  of  cleanliness  and  durability  to  marble 
or  slate.  Sometimes  marble  divisions  are  used  for  the  bath  com- 
partment and  wooden  divisions,  painted  with  English  white  enamel 
paint,  for  the  dressing  rooms. 

The  partitions  should  not  be  less  than  seven  feet  in  height, 
and  it  is  advisable  to  keep  the  bottom  of  all  partitions  from  ten 
to  sixteen  inches  from  the  floor  to  facilitate  cleaning  operations 
and  to  promote  the  circulation  of  air. 

The  sprays  or  shower  heads  are  made  either  of  copper  or  of 
spun  brass,  and  may  be  finished  either  by  tinning  or  by  nickel- 
plating.  Copper  showers  are  somewhat  cheaper  than  brass,  but 
they  should  be  made  very  strong,  and  should  have  wrell -soldered 
joints  where  the  pressure  of  water  is  heavy,  otherwise  it  may 
happen  that  the  facing  will  blow  out.  It  is  preferable  to  have  the 
face  of  the  shower  fastened  with  screws  or  bolts,  so  as  to  have  the 
same  removable  in  case  the  holes  become  stopped  up  by  im- 
purities in  the  water.  The  number  and  size  of  the  holes  should 
be  calculated  and  adjusted  to  the  available  water  pressure  so 
that  the  sprays  will  deliver  from  2^  to  5  gallons  of  water  per 
minute.  In  order  to  be  able  to  vary  the  angle  of  the  descending 
stream  it  is  best  to  fasten  the  douches  to  the  supply  pipes  by  means 
of  swivel  joints.  In  order  to  enable  each  bather  to  control  the 
shower,  a  strong  self-closing  cock  with  combination  lever,  chain 
and  pull  is  inserted  in  the  branch  supplying  each  shower,  and  a 
hook  is  provided  to  fasten  the  chain  to,  in  order  to  leave  both 
hands  of  the  bather  free.  Such  cocks  or  shut-offs  may,  however, 
be  dispensed  with  whenever  a  bath  attendant  controls  the  bathing 
apparatus,  as  in  schools,  military  barracks  and  institutions. 


42  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  water-service  pipes,  which  are  generally  carried  exposed 
along  the  ceiling  of  the  apartments,  may  be  more  or  less  complex 
in  arrangement.  Sometimes  both  hot  and  cold  water  pipes  are 
provided  and  carried  to  each  bath  compartment,  in  which  case 
each  of  the  latter  requires  a  separate  mixing  valve,  generally 
fitted  with  a  hot-water  thermometer.  As  a  rule,  however,  the 
warm  water  of  a  temperature  suitable  for  bathing,  and  varying 
from  85°  to  110°  Fahr.,  is  mixed  at  a  central  apparatus,  and 
carried  and  distributed  to  the  showers  by  a  single  warm-water 
main.  The  best  mean  temperature  of  the  warm  water  at  the 
shower  is  about  100°  Fahr.  Provision  must  be  made  for  an 
abundant  supply  of  water,  by  making  the  supply  pipes  amply  large. 

Likewise  should  the  waste  pipes  from  the  bath  be  ample  in 
size  to  carry  off  quickly  all  soiled  water.  The  main  drain  should 
be  laid  with  the  greatest  care,  and  wherever  possible  it  is  advis- 
able to  use  a  separate  sewer  for  the  bath  house,  where  the  same 
is  located  in  a  building  having  other  plumbing  work. 

All  plumbing  should  be  durable  and  substantial,  of  the  best 
of  its  kind,  and  perfect  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view.  Good 
flushing-rim  water-closets  with  flushing  cisterns,  well-flushed 
urinals,  and  a  cleanly  earthen  or  enameled  iron  slop  sink  should 
always  be  provided.  Hose  sill-cocks  with  rubber-lined  hose, 
for  flushing  the  floors  and  cleaning  the  bath  house  generally,  must 
not  be  forgotten. 

Where  a  general  waiting-room  is  provided,  its  floor  should  be 
tiled,  and  provided  with  a  safely  trapped  floor  drain,  with  shut- 
off  gate  valve. 

The  bath  house  should  be  properly  and  comfortably  heated 
and  suitably  ventilated.  All  bath  compartments  should  be 
lighted  by  gas,  or,  better  still,  by  incandescent  electric  lights. 

The  bathing  compartments  should  be  fitted  with  plain  and 
substantial  furniture,  as  follows:  In  the  bath  proper  there  should 
be  a  perforated  brass  or  galvanized  iron  or  cork  seat,  while  the 
dressing  room  should  have  a  well-fastened  hardwood  seat,  generally 
quarter-circle  in  shape,  a  number  of  enameled  iron  clothes  hooks, 
a  towel  rack,  a  cuspidore  and  an  iron  bootjack. 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  43 

It  is  doubtful  whether  it  is  proper  to  provide  comb  and  hair- 
brush in  each  dressing  room,  because  by  the  promiscuous  use  of 
these  toilet  articles  diseases  of  the  hair  or  scalp  may  be  com- 
municated from  one  person  to  another. 

Mirrors  in  bathing  compartments  generally  become  covered 
with  watery  vapor,  and  are  thus  rendered  practically  useless, 
and  it  is  quite  sufficient  to  provide  one  large  mirror  in  the  main 
vestibule  or  hall  of  the  bath  house. 

The  entrance  from  the  waitingroom  to  the  dressing  room 
should  have  a  light  wooden  lattice  door,  cut  off  at  bottom  and 
at  the  top  so  as  to  admit  of  plenty  of  air  for  circulation.  A  door 
between  the  dressing  room  and  the  bathroom  proper  is  not  needed; 
it  generally  suffices  to  put  up  a  rubber  curtain  or  a  curtain  of 
coarse  cheese  cloth  to  prevent  the  splashing  of  the  douche  and 
the  wetting  of  the  clothes  of  the  bather.  It  should  be  mentioned 
that  physicians  are  opposed  to  the  use  of  curtains,  as  being  liable 
to  take  up  and  retain  germs. 

A  question  of  prime  importance  in  the  construction  and  fitting 
up  of  rain  baths  is  the  provision  of  a  large  quantity  of  warm 
water,  and,  at  least  in  the  case  of  public  baths,  their  ultimate 
success  may  be  said  to  hinge  largely  about  this  point. 

In  private  houses  an  abundant  supply  of  hot  water  for  bathing 
is,  as  a  rule,  provided  for  by  the  water-back  in  the  kitchen  range 
in  connection  with  the  kitchen  boiler  or  reservoir  for  hot  water, 
or  else  by  special  hot-water  tanks  and  heaters  located  in  the 
basement  or  cellar.  But  for  all  large  bathing  establishments 
special  means  for  warming  the  water  are  required,  such  as  hot- 
water  heaters,  with  coal  or  gas  fire,  or  else  closed  boiler-iron 
tanks  heated  by  steam  coils,  or  special  feed-water  heaters.  Some- 
times the  water  is  heated  by  the  direct  admixture  of  steam,  but 
this  is  a  method  not  to  be  commended. 

Whatever  the  system  may  be,  the  warm-water  apparatus  to  be 
successful  should  be  simple,  efficient  and  reliable;  there  should 
be  no  unnecessary  loss  of  heat,  and  the  water  for  baths  should 
never  become  overheated,  and  thereby  expose  the  bather  to  the 
danger  of  scalding. 


44  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

In  nearly  all  cases,  where  a  larger  number  of  rain  baths  are 
fitted  up,  whether  in  bathing  houses,  factories,  institutions,  schools, 
hotels,  breweries  or  other  buildings,  a  steam  boiler  plant  is  erected 
in  the  building  for  heating  or  power  purposes,  and  steam  is  there- 
fore available  for  the  generation  of  warm  water  in  the  form  of 
either  high  or  low  pressure  steam,  or  else  of  exhaust  steam.  The 
ordinary  hot- water  tank,  however,  heated  by  a  steam  coil,  is  open 
to  many  objections,  being  unreliable  and  difficult  to  regulate, 
therefore  wasteful  in  heat.  The  Tobey  hot-water  heater  is 
constructed  with  a  view  of  obviating  this  difficulty  and  is,  to 
some  extent,  successful.  The  ordinary  hot-water  tank  has  been 
fitted  up  with  an  automatic  attachment  or  thermostat  regulating 
the  supply  of  steam.  Both  devices  are,  however,  expensive  and 
somewhat  complicated. 

Quite  recently  a  novel  and  ingenious  form  of  apparatus  for 
heating  water  by  steam  has  been  devised,  which  promises  to 
work  very  successfully. 

This  is  called  a  "  Gegenstrom  Apparat,"  and  is  now  extensively 
used  in  Germany.  It  is  invented  and  patented  by  Mr.  Schaff- 
staedt,  of  Giessen,  Germany. 

The  water  is  heated  in  this  apparatus  by  means  of  high  or 
low  pressure,  or  by  exhaust  steam,  and  the  apparatus  derives 
its  name  from  its  special  construction,  it  being  so  arranged  that 
the  cold  water  and  steam  travel  in  opposite  directions  ("Gegen- 
strom") without  at  all  mixing  together. 

Fig.  10  shows  a  section  and  elevation  of  a  small  size  of  this 
heater.  The  cold  water  enters  at  (a)  and  travels  upward  in  the 
direction  of  the  arrow,  while  steam  enters  at  (b)  and  travels 
downward,  issuing  in  a  condensed  form  at  outlet  (c),  which  may 
be  connected  with  the  return  steam  pipes.  Pipe  (d)  carries  the 
warm  water  to  the  shower  (e),  which  is  placed  inclined  at  a  proper 
height  above  the  bather.  The  water  and  steam  cocks  are  desig- 
nated by  letters  (f)  and  (g),  and  a  hot- water  thermometer  is 
placed  at  (h). 

The  object  of  the  apparatus  is  to  heat  water  instantaneously 
to  any  desired  temperature  by  means  of  steam,  without  the  latter 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH 


45 


FIG.  10.    SECTION  AND  VIEW  OF  SMALL  "GEGENSTROM"   HOT  WATER 
APPARATUS. 


46  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

passing  through  the  water.  This  it  accomplishes  thoroughly; 
the  water  is  uniformly  heated  and  the  apparatus  works  without 
any  noise  whatever. 

It  is  so  simple  and  at  the  same  time  so  efficient  in  construc- 
tion, that  the  writer,  with  the  approval  of  the  medical  superin- 
tendent of  the  TJtica  State  Hospital,  adopted  and  ordered  for 
the  new  bath  house  four  heaters,  to  be  sent  from  Germany,  each 
capable  of  supplying  warm  water  for  twelve  douches,  each  dis- 
charging, on  an  average,  about  two  and  a  half  or  three  gallons 
per  minute  of  warm  water  heated  to  100°  Fahr.  These 
were  the  first  "Gegenstrom"  apparatus  put  in  actual  use  in  the 
United  States.  (See  illustration,  Fig.  86,  Chapter  XII.) 

In  this  apparatus,  as  is  clearly  seen  in  the  illustration,  the 
water  and  steam  valves  are  so  arranged  that  it  is  impossible  to 
turn  on  the  steam  without  first  turning  on  the  water.  More- 
over, the  amount  of  heating  surface  is  so  calculated  and  adjusted, 
in  all  apparatus  constructed  specially  for  bath  purposes,  that 
for  a  certain  constant  pressure  and  temperature  of  steam  the 
temperature  of  the  warm  water  will  not  exceed  110°  Fahr., 
when  all  the  showers,  for  which  the  apparatus  is  calculated,  are 
running  simultaneously. 

All  similar  appliances  for  warming  water  by  direct  admixture 
of  steam  are  open  to  the  objection  that  it  is  impossible,  owing  to 
changes  in  water  and  steam  pressure,  to  control  exactly  the  tem- 
perature of  the  warm  water.  Sometimes  the  steam  is  not  com- 
pletely condensed,  and,  as  a  result,  the  bather  may  be  scalded 
by  particles  of  steam  escaping  with  the  water.  Moreover,  all 
mixing  valves  for  steam  and  water  cause  more  or  less  disagree- 
able noises,  and  often  the  water  becomes  impregnated  with  a 
peculiar  odor,  or  else  it  is  rendered  somewhat  impure  by  ad- 
mixture of  oil  from  the  steam  pipes.  The  chief  advantages 
claimed  for  the  "Gegenstrom"  apparatus  are  the  following: 

(1)  It  accomplishes  the  instant  warming  of  any  quantity 
of  water  to  any  desired  temperature;  that  is,  by 
turning  on  both  the  cold  water  and  the  steam,  the 


THE  MODERN  RAIN  BATH  47 

water  which  is  admitted  cold  is  discharged  as  warm 
water  at  the  shower  or  at  the  nozzle;  hence  this 
apparatus  effects  a  saving  of  time. 

(2)  It  also  saves  the  first  cost  of  a  hot-water  reservoir  or 

boiler,  because  no  such  reservoir  is  needed;  the  space 
needed  for  the  usual  hot-water  tank  can  be  appro- 
priated for  other  uses. 

(3)  It  saves  fuel,  because  there  is  no  heat  wasted,  as  is  the 

case  with  hot- water  reservoirs. 

(4)  The  warm  water  generated  by  this  method  has  no  bad 

smell  or  bad  taste,  and  is  not  in  any  way  rendered 
impure. 

(5)  The    apparatus    works     perfectly    noiselessly,    because 

water  and  steam  do  not  come  in  contact  with  each 
other. 

(6)  The  apparatus  is  perfectly  safe  and  free  from  the  danger 

of  inflicting  scaldings. 

(7)  The   apparatus    is    capable    of   perfect    regulation,    and 

gives  instantly  hot  water  of  any  desired  temperature 
(limited  to  110°  Fahr.  in  those  apparatus  which  are 
constructed  specially  for  bathing  purposes). 

(8)  The  apparatus  is  exceedingly  economical  in  actual  use, 

because  it  does  away  with  hot-water  tanks,  and  the 
corresponding  amount  of  piping  and  a  double  set  of 
valves  or  faucets.  It  requires  only  four  connections, 
viz.,  two  steam,  a  supply  and  return  connection,  and 
two  water,  the  cold-water  inlet  and  the  warm-water 
outlet  connections  to  the  shower  or  to  the  tub,  as 
the  case  may  be. 

The  "Gegenstrom"  apparatus  is  manufactured  in  various  sizes 
and  capacities.  For  smaller  rain-bath  establishments  and  wher- 
ever it  is  contemplated  to  allow  each  bather  to  regulate  the 


48  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

water  himself,  the  smallest  size,  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  is 
used,  and  each  apparatus  supplies  but  one  nozzle  or  douche. 

In  larger  establishments,  and  wherever  it  is  desired  to  bathe  a 
number  of  people  together,  and  as  quickly  as  possible,  it  is  better 
to  fit  up  the  larger  sizes  of  the  apparatus,  capable  of  supplying 
warm  water  to  two,  four,  six,  eight,  ten,  twelve  or  twenty  douches, 
and  in  this  case  the  apparatus  is  controlled  by  some  attendant, 
and  not  by  each  bather  individually.  (See  Fig.  86,  Chapter 
XII.) 

A  modification  of  the  apparatus  is  suitable  wherever  large 
quantities  of  boiling  or  hot  water  are  needed  for  washing  or  other 
purposes.  A  further  modification  of  the  same  apparatus  con- 
stitutes an  economical  and  efficient  feed-water  heater  for  steam 
boilers. 

After  what  I  said  in  the  early  part  of  this  chapter  concerning 
the  adoption  of  spray  or  rain  baths,  it  is  obvious  that  the  "  Gegen- 
strom"  apparatus  is  suitable  for  a  great  many  purposes.  In 
fact,  wherever  steam  is  available  it  may  be  considered  one  of 
the  most  reliable,  cheapest  and  most  economical  apparatus 
for  heating  water  of  which  I  have  knowledge.  The  "Gegen- 
strom"  apparatus  is,  therefore,  applicable  to  public  or  people's 
baths,  whether  the  same  be  fitted  up  with  bathtubs  or  with  rain 
baths  or  with  swimming  baths;  it  will  also  be  particularly  adapted 
in  the  case  of  hot  mineral  baths,  because  with  this  apparatus 
the  mineral  water  can  be  heated  without  losing  any  of  its  com- 
ponent parts.  The  apparatus  is  likewise  adapted  for  rain  baths 
in  factories,  manufacturing  establishments,  schools,  hospitals 
and  institutions.  A  modification  of  the  same  is  applicable  for 
heating  water  for  washing  and  scrubbing  purposes. 

It  can  be  used  on  board  of  ocean  steamships  or  vessels  of  the 
navy,  for  rain  or  tub  baths  for  the  passengers,  officers  and  sailors, 
and  for  boiling  water  for  making  coffee  or  tea  or  other  hot  drinks, 
or  for  washing  purposes,  particularly  in  the  emigrants'  quarters. 
In  hospitals,  prisons,  asylums  and  other  public  institutions,  as 
well  as  in  hotels,  one  form  of  the  apparatus  can  be  used  for  baths 
and  another  for  heating  water  for  kitchen  and  household  service. 


THE    MODERN    RAIN    BATH  49 

In  breweries  and  malt  houses  it  will  be  useful  in  connection  with 
the  cleaning  of  vats,  kegs  and  barrels.  In  slaughter  houses  or 
abattoirs,  where  large  quantities  of  hot  water  are  used  for  flush- 
ing the  floors  of  the  buildings,  in  gas  works,  and  numerous  other 
industries  the  "Gegenstrom"  apparatus  may  be  used  with  ad- 
vantage. 


CHAPTER  V 

BATHS  IN  PRIVATE  HOUSES  AND  IN  TENEMENTS 

House  Baths  —  Bathrooms  in  private  dwellings  are  more 
or  less  luxuriously  fitted  up  according  to  the  size,  character, 
rental  or  cost  of  the  house.  In  Chapter  VIII  of  my  work,  "Sani- 
tary Engineering  of  Buildings,"  I  have  discussed  in  detail  the 
proper  arrangements  of  bath  apartments,  and  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  book  mentioned  for  information.  The  essentials 
of  a  private  bathroom  are: 

Convenient  location. 
Perfect  ventilation. 
Good  light. 

Soundproof  construction  of  floors  and  walls. 
Sufficient  heating. 
Avoidance  of  woodwork. 

All  plumbing  work  to  be  protected  from  freezing. 
All  plumbing  fixtures  to   be  sanitary,  and   entrance  of 
sewer  air  to  be  avoided  by  proper  trapping  and  flushing. 
All  plumbing  to  be  open  and  exposed. 
Floors  and  walls  to  be  waterproof  and  non-slippery. 

By  far  the  majority  of  baths  in  private  houses  are  full  tub  baths, 
with  which  an  overhead  shower  or  douche  is  often  combined. 
We  also  find  other  forms  of  baths,  such  as  the  sitz  bath,  the  foot 
bath,  the  child's  bathtub  in  nursery  bathrooms,  the  bidet  and 
sometimes  a  shower  and  needle  bath  with  separate  stall  and 
receptor.  Sunken  bathing  pools  of  marble  are  not  often  pro- 
vided on  account  of  the  difficult  and  expensive  floor  construction 
which  they  require. 

The  encased  copper  bathtub  has  almost  become  a  thing  of  the 
past,  and  even  houses  of  moderate  rent  have  an  open  porcelain- 

60 


BATHS  IN  PRIVATE  HOUSES  AND  IN  TENEMENTS          51 

lined  iron  tub,  while  solid  porcelain  tubs  are  extensively  used  in 
the  houses  of  the  well-to-do  people.  In  placing  the  bathtub 
it  is  well  to  provide  plenty  of  space  between  it  and  the  wall,  for 
cleaning  purposes,  or  else  tubs  should  be  used  which  "key"  into 
the  tiled  wall. 

The  provision  of  a  servants'  bathtub  should  never  be  neglected 
in  private  houses. 

The  walls  of  cheaper  bathrooms  are  either  plastered  with 
rock  or  hard  plaster,  and  oil  painted,  or  else  enameled,  or  they 
may  be  finished  with  "sanitary"  and  washable  wall  papers; 


FIG.  11.    PLAN  OF  BATHROOM  FOR  PRIVATE  HOUSE. 

in  more  expensive  houses  the  walls  are  tiled  or  sometimes  lined 
with  slabs  of  marble. 

The  ceiling  is  usually  oil  painted,  but  in  some  cases  it  is  also 
tiled. 

The  floor  should  be  made  waterproof;  it  should  not  be  slippery, 
nor  too  cold  to  the  feet.  Linoleum  or  cork  matting  forms  a  good 
and  inexpensive  floor  covering,  which  is  warm  to  the  feet,  smooth 
and  easily  cleaned.  Sometimes  the  modern  rubber  tiling  is 
used,  and  in  expensive  houses  the  floors  are  tiled  or  finished  with 
marble  mosaic  or  terrazzo.  A  bathroom  also  looks  well  where 
the  fixtures  are  set  on  large  countersunk  marble  slabs,  while  the 
remaining  floor  space  is  finished  in  hardwood. 


52          MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  ideal  of  comfort  is  reached  by  providing  the  bathroom 
with  an  open  fireplace  with  a  wood,  coal  or  gas  fire. 

The  writer  wishes  to  call  attention  again  in  this  place  to  the 
undesirable  and   uncommendable   American   fashion   of   placing 

the  water-closet  in  the  bath 
room.  In  not  a  few  cases  the 
water-closet  fixture  is  old-fash- 
ioned, defective,  unsanitary  or 
at  least  far  from  pure,  and 
a  bather  is  thus  compelled  to 
breathe  foul  air  while  taking 
a  bodily  ablution.  In  small 
houses  a  water-closet  fixture 
placed  in  the  bathroom  is  use- 
less to  the  rest  of  the  household 
while  the  bathtub  is  being  used, 
and  vice  versa,  a  bath  cannot 
be  taken  while  the  water- 
closet  is  occupied.  It  seems 
to  me,  therefore,  it  is  much  to 
be  preferred,  on  esthetic  as 
well  as  practical  grounds,  to 
provide  a  separate  well-ven- 
tilated and  well-lighted  water- 
closet  apartment.  Even  in  the 
better  class  of  houses,  wThere 
there  are  several  bathrooms,  this 
arrangement  is  recommended. 
This  matter  is  discussed  in 
the  above  work,  from  which 

the  accompanying   illustrations,    showing   good  arrangements  of 
house  bathrooms,  are  taken.     (See  Figs.  11,  12  and  13.) 

The  "spray  bath,"  while  pre-eminently  a  form  of  bath  for 
people's,  factory,  school  and  hospital  baths,  is  also  very  well 
adapted  as  a  sanitary  bath  in  private  houses.  It  may  be  fitted 
up  in  a  special  waterproof  stall,  like  the  more  complicated  and 


FIG.  12. 


PLAN  OF  BATHROOM  FOR 
PRIVATE  HOUSE. 


BATHS  IN   PRIVATE  HOUSES  AND  IN  TENEMENTS 


53 


costly  needle  bath,  or  it  may  be  fitted  up  at  the  tub,  as  shown  in 

Fig.  14,  the  tub  acting  as  a  receptor  for  the  water  while  a  bath 

is  taken.      A  curtain  pole,  with  white  duck  curtain,  may  easily 

and  cheaply  be  arranged  so  as  to  prevent  splashing  and  wetting 

the  floor.     Such  a  spray  bath,  with  tepid  water,  may  be  taken 

every  morning  as   a   cleansing  bath,  and 

followed    by    a    cold    refreshing    shower. 

The  advantages  of  a  house  rain  bath  are 

the    same    as    already    enumerated,    less 

hot  water  is  consumed,  and    the    bather 

does  not  take  a  bath  while  sitting  in  water 

which  does  not  remain  clean,  but  instead  he 

stands  in  the  tub,  and  after  having  soaped 

his   body   in  the    tepid   stream  the  spray 

quickly  washes  off  the  soap  and  all  skin 

impurities.      In    this  way 

the   greatest  cleanliness  in 

bathing  is  attained. 

Tenement  Baths  —  A 
great  step  forward  in  the 
improvement  of  tenement 
houses  would  be  made  if 
they  were  provided  with 
bathing  facilities.  As  at 
present  constructed  and 
planned,  even  the  best  of 
them,  including  some  of  the  so-called  "model  tenement  houses," 
have  absolutely  no  bathing  facilities.  One  reason  for  this  is,  I 
presume,  to  be  found,  not  so  much  in  the  first  cost  of  the  tubs 
and  their  plumbing  connections,  as  in  the  fact  that  tubs  with- 
out hot  water  would  rarely  be  used,  except  perhaps  during 
very  hot  weather.  It  is  also  probable  that  the  bathtubs  would 
not  be  rightly  used,  that  the  waste  pipes  would  soon  stop  up, 
that  the  bathtub  would  not  be  kept  clean,  and  that  it  would  soon 
become  unfit  for  use  by  being  abused  in  other  ways.  I  quote 
from  the  above-mentioned  chapter  of  my  book  as  follows:  "Some 


FIG.  13.    PLAN  OF  BATHROOM  FOR 
PRIVATE  HOUSE. 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


well-meaning  landlords  are  said  to  have  tried  the  experiment  of 
fitting  up  bathtubs  in  tenement  houses,   but  have  soon  grown 


FIG.  14.    BATHTUB  WITH  OVERHEAD  RAIN  BATH  SPRAY. 


disheartened  at  finding  tubs  used  as  storage  places  for  food,  or 
as  a  depository  for  coal  and  ashes." 

I  am  firmly  convinced  that  the  rain  or  spray  bath  offers  many 
advantages  for  tenement  houses.  It  is  not  necessary  to  provide 
each  tenement  with  such  a  bath.  The  individual  bathtubs 
should  be  abolished,  and  instead  a  few  simple  and  inexpensive, 
clean  and  inviting  spray  baths  should  be  erected  in  a  well-lighted 
corner  of  the  basement,  and  kept  under  control  of  the  janitor. 


BATHS  IN  PRIVATE  HOUSES  AND  IN  TENEMENTS         55 

Such  a  plan  would  give  to  the  tenants  opportunity  for  frequent 
thorough  ablutions  in  tepid  water,  and  it  would,  doubtless,  have 
a  tendency  to  lead  to  increased  cleanliness  in  the  tenement  itself, 
and  would  thereby  improve  the  morals  of  their  population,  and 
also  bring  about  a  reduction  in  crime  and  vice. 


CHAPTER  VI 

PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 

PUBLIC  bath  houses  are  buildings  erected  for  bathing  purposes, 
and  fitted  up  more  or  less  luxuriously  with  some  or  all  of  the 
conveniences  and  appliances  for  bathing;  in  other  words,  with 
single  baths,  tubs  and  sprays,  and  also  with  common  baths,  like 
the  smaller  plunges  or  pools  and  the  larger  swimming  tanks, 
and  the  hot-air  and  steam- vapor  rooms.  Both  the  cleansing  baths 
and  those  for  healthful  muscular  exercise  and  recreation  are  pro- 
vided. A  modern  bath  house  contains  waiting,  lounging  and 
reading  rooms,  dressing  rooms,  compartments  with  tub  baths 
(which  the  Englishmen  call  slipper  baths),  others  with  douches, 
showers  or  sprays,  with  needle  baths,  foot  baths,  sitz  baths,  hot- 
air,  vapor,  steam  and  electric  baths,  also  with  swimming  baths 
or  pools,  and  sometimes  also  containing  hot  springs  and  medical 
baths,  hairdressing  establishments,  chiropodist  and  manicure 
rooms  and  refreshment  rooms.  The  baths  are  either  provided 
in  duplicate,  for  men  and  women,  or  else  in  smaller  buildings 
different  days  or  hours  are  appointed  for  the  two  sexes. 

Such  public  bath  houses  are  established  in  the  larger  cities, 
particularly  in  Europe,  partly  to  make  up  for  lack  of  bathing 
facilities  in  private  houses,  partly  to  provide  baths  for  the  traveling 
public.  In  Europe  only  the  houses  of  the  rich  people  have 
bathrooms,  and  the  middle  class  patronize  the  public  baths,  which 
are  usually  elaborately  fitted  up  and  embrace  all  the  different 
kinds  of  baths.  In  America,  on  the  other  hand,  even  small 
and  unpretentious  city  houses  or  suburban  cottages  have  a  bath- 
tub supplied  with  hot  and  cold  water.  For  this  reason,  and 
also  because  all  hotels  and  the  larger  barber  shops  have  baths 
attached,  luxurious  public  bathing  establishments  are  not  so 
frequent  here  as  in  Europe;  in  fact,  the  public  bath  houses  here 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 


57 


are  almost  exclusively  limited  to  the  Russian  and  Turkish  baths, 
fitted  up  with  hot-air,  moist  vapor,  electrical  and  massage  baths. 


PLAN  OF  GROUND  FLOOR 


FIG.  15.    PLAN  OF  PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSE  AT  HANNOVER,  GERMANY. 


Whoever  wishes  to  make  a  study  of  the  design,  interior  arrange- 
ment and  equipment  of  large  bath  houses  should  inspect  some 
of  the  truly  magnificent  bath  houses  erected  in  the  larger  cities 
of  the  Continent  of  Europe  as  well  as  in  England.  During  a 


58 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


recent  trip  in  Europe  the  author  visited  a  large  number  of  public 
bath  houses,  and  among  the  more  important  ones  he  mentions 
the  following,  which  are  well  worthy  of  a  visit:  viz.,  the  large 
public  bath  house  of  Bremen  (see  Fig.  25),  located  near  the  Union 
Railway  Station;  the  Luebecker  Thor  People's  baths  in  Ham- 
burg; the  public  bath  house  in  the  Baerwaldstrasse  in  Berlin;  the 
Guentzbad  in  Dresden  (see  Figs.  19,  20  and  21);  the  Mueller 


FIG.  16.    INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  SWIMMING  BATH,  IN  PUBLIC  BATH 
HOUSE,  HANNOVER. 


Volksbad  in  Munich  (see  Figs.  22, 23  and  24);  the  "Schwimmbad" 
in  Stuttgart,  and  the  "Volksbad"  in  Frankfort-on-Main.  Fig. 
15  shows  the  plan  of  the  new  public  bath  house  at  Hannover, 
and  Fig.  16,  17  and  18  are  interior  views  of  this  fine  structure. 
Another  example  of  an  elaborate  modern  bath  house  is  the  large 
municipal  bath  at  Frankfort-on-Main,  completed  in  1892. 

It  is  not  intended  in  this  book,  which  is  written  chiefly  from 
an  engineering  and  sanitary  standpoint,  to  bring  a  discussion  of 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 


59 


purely  architectural   features.     For  these  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  Bibliography  in  Chapter  XVIII. 


In  his  address  on  "Recent  Advances  in  Preventive  Medicine," 
delivered  at  a  meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Association  in 
Chicago,  in  1887,  Dr.  George  H.  Rohe,  of  Baltimore,  Md., 
showed  that,  contrary  to  popular  belief,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  inhabitants  of  American  cities  are  deprived  of  proper  bathing 
facilities.  He  collected  statistics  from  eighteen  cities,  having 
no  free  public  baths,  which  showed  that  only  about  23  per  cent 
of  residences  are  supplied  with  bathtubs.  He  concludes  that 
"five-sixths  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  cities  have  no  facilities  for 
bathing,  except  such  as  are  afforded  by  pail  and  sponge,  or  a 
river,  lake  or  other  body  of  water  which  may  be  easily  accessible, 
but  in  winter  even  such  sources  of  cleanliness  are  cut  off." 

Dr.  Rohe's  table  referred  to  gives  the  following  figures: 


NAME  OF   CITY 

NUMBER   OF   HOUSES 
IN    CITY 

NUMBER   OF   HOUSES 
SUPPLIED   WITH 
BATHTUBS 

Baltimore,  Md  
Bridgeport,  Conn  
Cambridge,  Mass  
Charleston,  S.C  
Cincinnati,  O.  

70,000 
6,000 
9.389 
10,000 
33,471 
5,600 

20,000 

2,000 
2,315 
500 
6,000 
1  000 

Lynn,  Mass  

5,800 
25,000 

1,238 
3000 

Minneapolis,  Minn  
New  Bedford,  Mass  
Peoria  111 

17,000 
5,237 
7  600 

3,000 
597 
800 

Portland,  Me  
Reading  Pa  

7,188 
11.000 

1,153 
1,900 

Savannah,  Ga  
Somerville,  Mass.  .  .  
St  Louis  Mo.  .  

6,000 
2,000 
50,000 

4,000 
500 
8000 

St  Paul  Minn  

30,000 

10000 

Wilmington,  Del  

12,000 

5,000 

The  need  of  cheap  and  plain  public  baths  for  the  masses  and 
for  the  working  people  of  both  sexes  is,  therefore,  apparently 
just  as  urgent  here  as  it  is  in  Europe.  Such  baths  are  better 


60         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

characterized  as  "People's  Baths,"  under  which  name  they 
will  be  spoken  of  in  the  next  two  chapters.  These  should  be 
comfortable  and  clean  but  without  any  luxury,  and  may  be  pro- 
vided by  State  laws,  by  the  municipality,  by  bureaus  of  charities 
or  by  private  charitable  associations.  Public  bath  houses,  on 
the  other  hand,  are  more  frequently  erected  by  private  individuals 
or  firms  as  a  money-paying  enterprise.  In  Europe,  however, 


FIG.  17.    VIEW  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  AND  PLUNGE  IN  TURKISH  BATH 
OF  PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSE,  HANNOVER,  GERMANY. 

there  are  a  number  of  large  public  bath  houses  which  are  built 
by  the  municipality. 

Large  public  bathing  establishments,  in  order  to  be  complete, 
must  contain  all  the  different  forms  of  baths  mentioned  here- 
tofore; in  other  words,  they  comprise  a  large  number  of  separate 
compartments  for  bathtubs,  and  in  European  bath  houses  there 
are  often  two  classes  of  these,  for  which  different  prices  of  ad- 
mission are  charged.  They  always  contain  one  or  several 
swimming  baths,  with  the  needed  dressing  compartments  and 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 


61 


preparatory  cleansing  baths  in  the  form  of  showers  and  foot 
baths,  and  besides  they  embrace  Turkish  and  hot-air  baths, 
with  dressing  rooms,  smoking  and  reading  rooms,  massage 
rooms,  shampooing  rooms,  cooling  or  lounging  rooms,  and  rooms 
for  special  electrical  or  hydrotherapeutic  treatment.  The  build- 
ings require  attractive  entrances,  ticket  offices,  large  waiting 
rooms  for  the  public,  minor  rooms  for  barber  shop  and  chiropo- 


FIG.  18.    VIEW  OF  SWIMMING  POOL  IN  PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSE,  HANNOVER. 

dist's  offices,  and  sometimes  a  restaurant  or  buffet,  besides  rooms 
for  the  attendants,  a  large  laundry,  ironing  and  drying  rooms, 
rooms  for  storage  of  towels,  sheets  and  soap,  boiler  room,  fuel 
room,  and  the  necessary  toilet  rooms  with  water  closets,  urinals, 
and  wash  basins  for  patrons  and  employees.  All  of  the  above 
rooms  should  be  provided  in  duplicate  for  men  and  women, 
and  should  be  entirely  separated  for  the  two  sexes. 

For  the  tub  baths  numerous  bathing  cells  or  compartments 
are  provided,  the  size  of  each  compartment  being  about  6  feet 
by  6^  feet,  though  some  are  made  as  large  as  8  feet  by  10  feet. 


62  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  best  arrangement  is  that  which  provides  a  long  central 
corridor,  not  less  than  four  feet  in  width,  with  the  compartments 
located  on  both  sides  and  separated  by  partitions  of  wood,  marble 
or  enameled  brick.  Each  compartment  should  be  roomy  to 
hold  not  only  a  fair-sized  bathtub,  but  also  to  afford  convenient 
room  for  undressing.  It  is  desirable  that  provision  should  be 
made  for  an  overhead  spray  at  each  tub,  or,  at  least,  a  flexible 
hand  spray  with  rubber  tubing  should  be  available,  so  that  at  the 


FIG.  19.    VIEW  IN  GUENTZ  BATH  HOUSE   DRESDEN,  GERMANY. 

end  of  the  bath  the  person  may  spray  the  body  with  pure  water 
and  wash  off  any  impurities  attaching  to  the  skin  from  the  soiled 
water  of  the  tub,  but  also  that  a  bather  may  avoid  catching  cold 
by  closing  up  the  pores  of  the  skin  with  the  aid  of  a  final  cool 
or  cold  shower. 

For  shower  or  spray  baths  the  size  of  the  compartment  varies 
from  4  feet  by  6  feet  to  5  feet  by  8  feet. 

The  greatest  possible  cleanliness  must  be  maintained  in  public 
bathing  establishments,  and  the  tubs  in  particular  should  always 
be  thoroughly  scrubbed  and  cleaned  by  the  attendants  after 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 


each  use.     Regarding  the  shape  and  material  of  tubs  see  Chap- 
ter III. 

In  nearly  all  large  public  bath  houses  the  swimming  hath  js 
a  prominent  feature ;  jn  the  bath  houses  of  inland  towns  a  swim- 
ming pool  is  particularly  desirable.  It  should  be  located  in  a 
large  and  lofty,  well-lighted  and  well- ventilated  halL  and  be 
made  as  attractive  and  inviting  as  possible.  In  public  bath 
houses  the  swimming  bath  is,  as  a  rule,  located  on  the  ground 


FIG.  20.    VIEW  IN  GUENTZ  BATH  HOUSE,  DRESDEN,  GERMANY. 

floor,  and  a  location  in  the  basement,  as  in  the  case  of  clubhouses 
or  gymnasia,  is  generally  undesirable. 

A  very  necessary  precaution  for  swimming  halls  consists  in 
arranging  cleansing  or  preparatory  baths,  both  foot  and  douche 
baths  with  hot  and  cold  water,  where  each  bather  is  required 
to  go  to  soap  and  clean  himself  thoroughly,  preliminary  to  his 
being  admitted  to  the  swimming  basin.  This  rule  should  be 
rigorously  enforced  in  every  well-regulated  bath  house  to  preserve 
the  purity  of  the  water  in  the  tank  and  in  this  way  to  guard  against 
any  possible  transmission  of  infectious  disease. 


64  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  purity  of  the  water  is  further  protected  by  arranging  suit- 
able expectorating  openings,  or  sometimes  an  entire  gutter 
running  around  the  top  of  the  basin,  and  flushed  from  the  over- 

flowing  water. 

The  bathing  master  in  charge  should  enforce  the  rule  that  no 
spitting  is  permitted.  The  bathers  themselves  should  see  that 
this  rule  is  lived  up  to,  and  that  no  other  contamination  of  the 
swimming  basin,  due  to  carelessness  or  ignorance,  occurs.  No 


FIG.  21.    VIEW  IN  GUENTZ  BATH  HOUSE,  DRESDEN,  GERMANY. 

dirty  water  from  the  gangways  should  be  permitted  to  run  into 
the  pool. 

It  is  also  important  that  suitable  toilet  rooms  be  provided 
conveniently  near  to  the  dressing  rooms. 

Notwithstanding  all  precautions,  the  water  in  the  basin  may 
become  slightly  contaminated  by  skin  abrations,  by  oily  secretions 
from  the  bodies  of  swimmers,  by  bathers  carelessly  expectorating 
into  the  water,  by  dust  and  dirt,  etc.,  hence  it  is  important  that 
the  surface  of  the  water  be  kept  artificially  stirred  and  in  con- 
stant motion.  This  is  accomplished  by  fountains,  special  surface 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES  65 

sprays,  cascades  or  douches,  which  tend  to  aerate  the  water, 
or  by  special  mechanical  means  to  set  the  water  in  motion.  The 
inflowing  water  supplying  the  pool  should  be  made  to  traverse 
the  greater  part  of  it  and  not  find  a  short  way  to  the  overflow 
gutter. 

The  water  in  the  large  tank  should  be  constantly  replenished, 
i,e.,  new  water  should  flow  in  to  take  the  place  of  that  overflowing 
and  wasting  to  the  sewer.  It  is  a  bad  practice,  from  a  sanitary 


FIG.  22.    VIEW  OF  THE  KARL  MUELLER  PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSE  IN 
MUNICH,  GERMANY. 

point  of  view,  to  circulate  the  water  over  and  over,  still  this  is 
often  done  to  save  in  the  water  bill.  The  inflow  should  be  at 
such  rate  and  volume  that  the  whole  contents  of  the  basin  be 
changed  at  least  once  in  twenty-four  hours. 

The  swimming  basin  should  be  completely  emptied,  its  walls 
and  bottom  and  the  stairs  cleaned  and  all  slimy  deposit  removed, 
and  it  should  be  refilled  with  fresh  water  at  least  twice  a  week. 

Details  of  Swimming  Baths  —  A  swimming  basin  is  usually 
oblong  in  shape,  but  sometimes  it  is  circular  or  its  plan  may  be  a 
rectangle  with  one  or  both  ends  semicircular.  At  one  or  more 


66 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES  67 

sides  or  corners  of  the  basin  wooden  or  else  marble  steps  are  pro- 
vided to  enter  the  bath. 

The  size  and  dimensions  of  a  swimming  tank  depend  upon  the 
available  space  of  the  bath  house  site.  In  some  of  the  European 
bath  houses  two  basins  are  provided,  of  which  one  is  for  swim- 
mers and  the  other  for  non-swimmers.  In  that  case  about  24 
square  feet  of  water  surface  are  provided  for  each  swimmer, 
and  from  10  to  12  square  feet  for  non-swimmers.  Where,  on 
the  other  hand,  one  basin  answers  for  both  swimmers  and  non- 
swimmers,  the  bottom  is  made  sloping,  so  as  to  obtain  a  shallow 
and  a  deep  end,  and  a  net  or  line  is  drawn  across  to  indicate  the 
division,  and  to  prevent  non-swimmers  from  going  beyond  their 
depth. 

A  pool  or  tank  100  feet  long  and  40  feet  wide  is  considered  to 
be  a  large  pool,  and  is  suitable  for  swimming  exercises  as  well  as 
for  water  polo  games.  Usually  pools  are  from  30  to  75  feet 
long  and  15  to  30  feet  wide.  Where  swimming  pools  are  pro- 
vided separately  for  men  and  for  women,  the  men's  bath  is  made 
about  75  x  35  feet,  and  the  women's  60  x  30  feet,  or  in  this  proportion. 
Of  course,  the  larger  the  basin  the  greater  becomes  the  expense 
for  heating  the  water,  particularly  in  winter,  when  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  cold  water  is  low,  but  at  all  times  on  account  of  the 
expense  for  renewing  the  water  in  the  pool. 

^  The  depth  of  water  in  the  pool  varies  from  3  or  3^  feet  at  the 
shallow  end  to  7?  feet  at  the  deep  end.  Where  separate  pools 
are  provided  for  swimmers  and  non-swimmers,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  slope  the  bottom,  but  an  even  depth  can  be  maintained.  For 
diving  even  a  depth  of  7^  feet  is  hardly  sufficient  and  none  but 
experienced  divers  should  attempt  the  feat  in  an  ordinary  basin. 

Where  fixed  or  stationary  diving  boards  are  provided,  there 
should  be  from  8  to  9  feet  depth  of  water  just  below  the  end  of 
the  diving  board,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to  carry  this  depth  to  the 
extreme  deep  end  of  the  basin. 

A  swimming  basin  100  x  40  feet  and  5  feet  average  depth 
of  water  holds  20,000  cubic  feet  or  150,000  United  States  gallons. 
A  basin  75  x  35  feet  and  from  3%  to  7^  feet  deep  has  a  water 


68         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

capacity  of  108,281  gallons;  and  a  basin  60  x  30  feet  and  from 
3£  to  6\  feet  deep  contains  67,500  United  States  gallons. 

The  swimming  basin   is   built  of    brick    or    Portland    cement 
masonry.     The  walls   must   be  constructed   with  due  regard  to 


FIG.  24.    INTERIOR  VIEW  IN  KARL  MUELLER  PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSE 
IN  MUNICH,  GERMANY. 

stability  and  to  water  tightness.  The  outer  shell  of  smaller  pools 
consists  sometimes  of  iron,  lined  on  the  inside  with  asbestos 
paper  or  other  waterproof  material.  Asphalt  is  much  used 
for  this  purpose,  and  the  lining  should  be  about  one  inch  thick. 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES 


69 


The  bottom  of  the  basin  is  built  in  concrete  and  carefully  covered 
with  layers  of  asphalt.  After  being  waterproofed,  the  pool 
should  be  tested  for  tightness  before  applying  the  finishing 
lining.  The  side  walls  may  be  finished  with  a  course  of  white 
enameled  brick,  with  glazed  tiles,  with  slabs  of  marble  or  with 
white  glass. 

It  may  be  said  that  while  white  seems  to  be  the  color  most 
desirable  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  it  is  not  always  the  best, 
because  if  the  water  is  at  all  turbid,  it  will  look  worse  in  a  white 


FIG.  25.    INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  AT  BREMEN, 
GERMANY. 

pool  than  in  a  basin  finished  with  colored  tiles  or  marble.  Water 
should,  therefore,  always  be  filtered  where  the  basin  is  finished 
in  white.  In  Germany  I  saw  many  swimming  basins,  in  some 
of  the  bath  houses  mentioned  heretofore,  which  looked  exceed- 
ingly attractive,  and  which  had  linings  of  bluish  or  greenish 
tiles  both  on  the  sides  and  in  the  bottom.  The  water  looked 
particularly  inviting  in  these  pools  and  resembled  more  that 
of  lakes  or  clear  streams.  Due  attention  should  be  given  to  the 
bottom,  which  should  not  be  too  slippery. 

The  basin  should  have  one  or  several  large  waste  pipes,  to  empty 


70  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES. 

it  quickly,  also  suitable  overflow  pipes,  and  sometimes  openings 
are  provided  on  the  sides  and  above  the  water  line  for  spitting, 
or  else  a  scum  gutter  is  carried  on  the  long  sides  of  the  basin  or 
even  all  around  it.  It  is  advisable  to  provide  a  well-fastened 
brass  rail  located  just  above  the  water  line  for  tired  swimmers. 
There  are  also  needed  a  jumping  board,  and  occasionally  a  diving 
board,  hook  poles,  life  preservers  and  life  lines  in  case  of  accidents. 
Sometimes  a  brass  railing  is  set  on  the  gangway  running  around 
the  tank,  but  more  often  it  is  omitted. 

A  gangway  or  passage  should  surround  the  pool  on  all  sides. 
This  should  not  be  less  than  3  feet  wide,  and  it  is  better  to  make 
it  4J  feet,  and  the  ends  6  feet  wide.  The  floor  of  the  gangway 
should  have  a  raised  nosing,  projecting  from  6  to  12  inches  over 
the  pool;  the  water  in  the  basin  is  usually  from  2  to  3  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  gangway.  The  gangway  should  be  paved  with 
large,  white,  unglazed  tiles,  with  mosaic  tiling  or  cement  flooring, 
and  the  floor  should  incline  away  from  the  basin  so  that  no  impure 
water  can  run  into  it. 

The  dressing  rooms  are  located  along  two  or  three  sides  of 
the  gangway.  A  better  plan,  which  is  nearly  always  found  in 
the  German  bath  houses,  is  to  provide  two  gangwavs,  one  an 
outer  one,  for  the  bathers  to  use  to  enter  the  dressing  rooms 
before  the  bath,  the  inner  one  to  be  restricted  to  the  bathers  only 
who  have  undressed  or  who  come  out  of  the  bath.  This  pre- 
caution avoids  the  soiling  of  the  inner  gangway  by  dirty  shoes 
and  greatly  helps  to  maintain  cleanliness,  although  it  requires 
additional  space,  which  in  centers  of  cities  where  the  price  of 
land  is  high  cannot  always  be  obtained. 

The  dressing  rooms  are  located  along  the  two  long  sides  of  the 
pool,  and  where  a  larger  number  is  required  additional  ones 
are  sometimes  placed  on  a  gallery  above  the  lower  tier  of  rooms, 
which  gallery  also  answers  for  the  spectators.  The  minimum 
size  of  dressing  rooms  is  3$  feet  square,  but  it  is  better  to  make 
them  larger,  viz.,  4  feet  x  5  feet.  The  partitions  are  sometimes 
built  with  enameled  bricks,  or  else  they  are  of  marble,  and  in 
cheaper  outfits  of  wood.  The  doors  should  be  about  2  feet 


PUBLIC  BATH  HOUSES  71 

2  inches  wide.  The  rooms  should  contain  a  seat  or  bench,  some 
clothes  hooks,  a  bootjack,  a  mirror,  and  comb  and  brush. 

The  swimming  hall  should  be  well  warmed  in  winter,  a  tem- 
perature of  75-80°  Fahr.  being  desirable,  and  it  must  be  well 
ventilated  at  all  times  of  the  year.  In  many  of  the  German 
baths  visited  by  me  I  found  provision  made  for  cooling  the  air  in 
summer  by  means  of  water  sprays  located  at  the  ceiling,  usually  at 
the  four  corners  of  the  pool,  and  controlled  by  valves  accessible 
from  the  main  floor.  The  swimming  basin  should  be  well  lighted, 
to  render  it  more  attractive  and  also  for  the  better  maintenance 
of  cleanliness.  It  is  found  by  experience  that  side  light  from 
high  windows  is  preferable  to  overhead  skylights,  on  account 
of  the  glare  and  heat  of  the  sun  where  the  latter  are  used. 

The  water  in  the  swimming  basin  must  be  kept  at  a  suitable 
temperature,  and  must  be  maintained  in  winter  time  at  about 
70°  Fahr.  The  wrater  may  be  warmed  by  the  direct  introduction 
of  steam,  or  it  is  heated  by  steam  coils  located  near  the  bottom 
at  the  sides  of  the  basin.  The  better  plan,  however,  is  to  heat 
the  water  in  special  large  hot  water  heaters,  and  to  allow  it  to  flow 
into  the  tank,  sometimes  mixed  with  the  colder  water.  To  warm 
the  water  by  continuous  circulation  is  not  considered  a  good 
practice  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  though  it  is  the  cheapest 
method.  (See  Chapter  XVII.) 

Ocean  and  river  swimming  baths  are  discussed  in  Chapter 
XTV. 


CHAPTER  VII 

PEOPLE'S  BATHS 

LUXURIOUSLY  appointed  public  baths  in  costly  monumental 
buildings  are  intended  more  for  well-to-do  people,  and  are  not 
at  all  adapted  for  the  requirements  of  the  working  classes  of 
laborers,  mechanics,  factory  operatives,  etc.,  who  often  are  em- 
ployed in  the  midst  of  dirt  or  dust  of  all  kinds,  and  are  always 
exposed  to  different  sources  of  uncleanliness.  And  while  the 
wealthy  women  have  ample  bathing  facilities  at  home  or  can 
find  them  at  the  expensive  Turkish-bath  establishments,  the 
needs  of  the  working  women,  of  factory  girls,  saleswomen,  etc. 
are  often  forgotten.  Even  for  our  domestic  female  servants, 
opportunities  for  bathing  and  bodily  cleanliness  are  not  always 
thought  of,  even  in  the  most  richly  appointed  houses  and  mansions. 

This  explains  in  part  why  women  bathe  less  nowadays  than  in 
former  times.  But  both  men  and  women  of  the  poorer  classes 
of  the  population  are  debarred  from  using  the  public  bathing 
establishments  by  the  price  charged  for  a  bath,  as  well  as  by  other 
reasons. 

About  the  need  and  desirability  of  people's  bath  houses  in  cities 
there  can,  therefore,  be  no  question.  In  1904  only  thirty-four 
cities  in  the  United  States  had  more  or  less  adequate  provision 
for  bathing  for  the  people.  It  is  very  seldom,  indeed,  as  men- 
tioned in  another  chapter,  that  tenement  houses  have  any  baths; 
even  the  so-called  "model"  tenement  houses  do  not  provide 
bathing  facilities.  In  most  of  the  tenement  houses  hot  water  is 
unknown,  and  their  occupants  have  merely  the  city  river  baths 
to  go  to,  which  are  available  only  a  few  months  in  the  year. 

But  floating  river  baths  and  the  sea  baths  in  the  harbor  or 
on  the  beaches  do  not  suffice,  for  they  not  only  provide  bathing 
facilities  for  a  part  of  the  year  only,  but  in  some  cases  are  located 

72 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  73 


at  a  distance  from  the  homes  of  the  working  people,  and  are,  there- 
fore, difficult  and  expensive  to  reach. 

Bathing  can  be  rendered  popular  by  providing  people's  baths. 
Such  baths  should  be  simple,  unpretentious,  yet  neat,  clean, 
substantial  and  inviting  structures,  well  warmed,  well  lighted  and 
ventilated,  provided  with  all  necessary  means  for  cleanliness 
and  comfort,  but  without  any  superfluous  luxury,  and  withall 
arranged  so  as  to  give  a  bath  quickly,  comfortably  and  cheaply. 

Many  hold  that  people's  baths  should  not  be  free,  as  the  re- 
spectable poor  unconsciously  shrink  away  from  anything  that 
looks  like  charity.  A  moderate  fee,  if  any,  may  be  charged, 
sufficient,  if  possible,  to  cover  the  cost  of  maintenance.  If  there 
is  at  present  too  little  appreciation  of  the  healthful  effects  of 
bathing  in  the  lower  classes  of  our  population,  it  is  largely  on 
account  of  the  lack  of  baths  in  cities.  Let  bathing  opportunities 
at  reasonable  expense  be  provided,  and  the  people  will  surely 
make  use  of  them,  and  bathing  will  once  more  become  popular 
with  the  masses,  as  it  was  centuries  ago.  With  increased  care 
of  the  body  and  bodily  cleanliness  will  go  hand  in  hand  cleanliness 
in  the  clothing  and  the  underwear,  as  well  as  in  the  habitations, 
and  this  in  turn  will  lead  to  vast  improvements  in  the  ventilation, 
and  in  the  general  health  conditions  of  a  community.  It  will 
also  tend  to  lessen  the  ravages  of  contagious  diseases,  which  are 
particularly  marked  where  there  is  absence  of  cleanliness. 

In  April,  1895,  the  Legislature  passed,  and  the  Governor  of 
the  State  of  New  York  signed  a  bill  which  provided  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  free  public  baths  in  cities,  villages  and  towns  in  the 
State.  The  Act,  which  is  known  as  Chapter  351,  Laws  of  1895, 
provides  substantially  that  all  cities  of  the  first  and  second  class 
shall  establish  and  maintain  such  number  of  free  public  baths 
as  the  local  Board  of  Health  will  determine  to  be  necessary;  that 
each  bath  shall  be  kept  open  not  less  than  fourteen  hours  each 
day,  and  that  both  hot  and  cold  water  shall  be  provided.  It 
also  states  that  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  river  or  ocean 
baths  shall  not  be  deemed  a  compliance  with  the  requirements 
of  the  law. 


74  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

This  law,  I  am  informed,  was  advocated  and  persistently 
pushed  by  Mr.  Goodwin  Brown,  a  former  member  of  the  New 
York  State  Lunacy  Commission,  and  to  him  great  credit  is  due 
for  having  secured  the  first  legislation  on  the  subject  of  baths 
ever  had  in  this  country.  Three  years  previously  he  had  secured 
the  passage  of  a  bill  making  the  erection  of  public  baths  per- 
missible, while  the  present  law  makes  it  a  mandatory  measure. 

My  personal  belief  is  that,  laws  or  no  laws,  every  municipality 
has  the  moral  duty  to  provide  public  baths,  which  tend  to  reduce 
the  general  mortality  of  cities  and  the  number  of  sick  in  the  hos- 
pitals. Hence  every  public-spirited  citizen  should  encourage 
the  establishment  of  baths,  not  only  in  public  bath  houses,  but 
also  in  schools,  in  factories  and  the  like. 

Success  or  failure  of  a  people's  bath  will  largely  depend  upon 
its  suitable  location  as  well  as  construction.  In  order  to  popu- 
larize bathing  and  render  people's  baths  useful,  serviceable  and 
well  patronized,  they  should  be  located  convenient  of  access, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  thickly  populated  city  districts,  preferably 
near  the  streets  forming  the  main  line  of  traffic. 

The  municipal  government  either  erects  such  baths,  or  else 
it  provides  the  site  for  the  bath  house,  while  the  building  is  some- 
times built  by  charitable  associations  or  public-spirited  citizens, 
as  the  Walters  baths  in  Baltimore,  erected  in  1900,  and  the  Center 
Market  and  East  381  h  Street  bath  houses  in  New  York  City. 

In  Germany  a  nominal  charge  of  from  one  and  one-fourth  to  two 
and  one-half  cents  is  made  for  a  bath,  and  the  bather  is  furnished 
with  five  gallons  of  tepid  water  and  a  piece  of  soap  as  well  as  a 
towel. 

Outside  of  New  York  State  the  aim  should,  in  my  judgment, 
be  to  make  people's  baths  self-supporting,  by  charging  a  mini- 
mum admission  fee;  medical  societies  and  public  health  asso- 
ciations may  accomplish  much  by  encouraging  their  erection. 

The  exterior  of  a  people's  bath  building  (see  Fig.  36,  Chapter 
VIII)  should  be  easily  recognizable  in  order  to  be  readily  found, 
but  all  outward  display  of  lavishness  in  the  architecture  of  the 
building  must  be  avoided,  as  this  would  only  have  a  tendency 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  75 


to  keep  the  poor  people  away.  The  construction  and  the  equip- 
ment of  the  interior  should  likewise  be  economical,  yet  substantial, 
cleanly  and  inviting,  but  without  any  of  the  refinement  of  details 
found  in  the  large  public  bath  houses. 

Where  a  source  of  steam  supply  is  available,  as,  for  instance, 
near  electric-light  and  railroad  stations,  near  waterworks  pump- 
ing stations,  disinfecting  stations,  and  at  all  larger  industrial 
establishments,  the  running  expenses  of  the  baths,  for  heating  the 
bath  water  and  warming  the  building,  may  be  reduced  by  making 
suitable  arrangements  for  using  the  exhaust  steam  of  the  boiler 
plant. 

In  planning  and  erecting  municipal  people's  baths  the  questions 
arise:  What  form  of  bath  is  best  adapted  for  them?  Shall  single 
baths  (tubs,  douches,  sprays)  or  common  baths  (swimming  pools) 
or  shall  both  be  provided? 

If  single  baths  are  decided  upon,  shall  the  compartments  be 
fitted  up  with  tubs  or  with  sprays  ? 

It  is  plainly  evident  that  a  marble  or  tile-lined  swimming  plunge 
or  basin,  filled  with  water  of  crystal-like  purity,  is  not  well  adapted 
to  the  needs  of  the  workingman,  for  it  is  not  a  cleansing  form  of 
bath;  soaping  and  cleansing  in  them  are  obviously  excluded, 
besides  it  requires  very  large  quantities  of  water,  which  must  be 
heated,  and  it  is  an  expensive  form  of  bath  generally,  in  con- 
struction as  well  as  in  maintenance;  it  is  not  a  form  of  bath  suit- 
able for  the  masses.  It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that  in  all 
pools  or  basins  where  persons  bathe  together  there  is  some  danger 
of  skin  diseases  being  transmitted  from  one  person  to  another. 

Neither  is  a  porcelain-lined  pure  white  bathtub  suitable  for 
fixtures  of  people's  baths,  for  good  tubs  are  expensive,  while  a 
wrorkingman  cannot  quickly  and  readily  become  cleaned  in  them; 
in  fact,  he  would  wash  the  impurities  into  the  bath  and  would, 
toward  the  end  of  the  bath,  sit  immersed  in  his  own  befouled 
water.  He  would  require  several  changes  of  water  in  the  tub, 
hence  more  water  and  correspondingly  more  time  to  become 
clean.  Again,  after  he  is  through  with  the  bath,  it  would  require 
a  good  deal  of  cleaning  and  scouring  to  remove  the  dirt  attaching 


76  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

to  the  sides  of  the  tub;  this  would  result  in  increased  labor  for 
the  attendants  to  restore  the  tubs  to  their  former  state  of  purity 
and  involve  greater  cost  in  running  expenses.  The  tubs,  as  a 
form  of  bath,  should  therefore  be  abolished  or  greatly  restricted 
in  number. 

At  the  Berlin  Health  Exhibition  of  1883  the  solution  of  the 
problem  of  providing  cheap  baths  for  the  masses  was  first  in- 
dicated by  the  people's  baths  of  Grove-Lassar.  The  novelty, 
as  we  have  already  seen  in  Chapter  IV,  consisted  in  the  use  of  an 
inclined  overhead  tepid  spray  in  place  of  the  tub  or  the  plunge. 
It  was  perhaps  not  strictly  new,  as  it  had  been  used  previously 
in  prisons  and  in  military  barracks,  but  the  novelty  consisted  rather 
in  the  suggestion  to  use  this  form  of  bath  for  people's  baths. 

No  form  of  bath  is  better  adapted,  from  a  hygienic  and  econom- 
ical point  of  view,  for  working  people  than  the  tepid  spray  or  "  rain 
bath."  Its  hygienic  as  well  as  economical  advantages  are  many. 
It  is  the  simplest,  quickest,  cheapest,  cleanest  and  withal  best 
form  of  bath  for  people's  bath  houses;  it  is  the  one  which  requires 
the  least  expense  in  fitting  up,  the  least  space,  the  least  time 
in  use,  the  least  amount  of  water,  the  least  fuel  for  warming 
the  water,  the  least  attendance  and  the  least  cost  for  repairs  and 
maintenance. 

Standing  on  a  water-tight,  well-drained  floor,  or  sometimes 
in  a  sunken  basin  under  an  inclined  spray,  the  bather  can  soap 
and  rub  his  body,  rinse  it  with  more  tepid  clean  water,  which  falls 
down  over  his  body  from  the  inclined  spray  in  a  gentle  yet  in- 
vigorating rain  or  in  fine  jets  from  the  neck  downward  (see  Fig.  26.), 
and  finally  he  can  let  some  pure  and  colder  water  flow  to  increase 
the  mechanical  and  tonic  effect  and  to  prevent  the  catching  of 
cold.  While  he  is  bathing  all  waste  water  flows  away  quickly 
and  immediately  through  a  large  waste  pipe.  Hence  the  bather  is 
not  immersed  in  water  which  becomes  more  and  more  impure 
from  his  ablution,  and  in  which  he  continues  to  bathe,  but  the 
clean  fresh  water  which  descends  upon  him  from  the  overhead 
spray  instantly  washes  off  all  dirt,  soap  and  waste  matter  from 
the  skin. 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


77 


Such  a  simple  bath  at  once  cleanses,  refreshes  and  invigorates 
a  person;  it  therefore  has  the  cleansing  and  tonic  effect  combined. 
When  one  bather  has  finished  using  the  bath  compartment,  it 


SECTION  C-D 

FIG.  26.    SECTION  OP  RAIN  BATH  COMPARTMENT  IN  THE  HEBREW 
INSTITUTE,  N.  Y. 

is  quickly  gotten  ready  for  the  next  bather.  For  all  these  reasons, 
purposely  set  forth  here  in  detail,  the  rain  bath  has  become  the 
modern  favorite  method,  it  is  the  best  form  of  bath,  and  is  destined 
to  be  the  bath  of  the  future  for  people's  baths.  To  quote  from  an 
English  report,  "the  spray  bath  is  an  agreeable,  healthy  and 


78  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

economical  bath.  Its  superiority  over  the  tub  bath  should  be 
evident  to  any  one  approaching  the  subject  with  an  unprejudiced 
mind." 

People's  rain  baths  have  proven  to  be  very  popular  in  Austria 
and  in  Germany,  but  they  are  not  as  yet  generally  introduced  in 
England,  although  their  advantages  are  beginning  to  be  recog- 
nized. In  some  recent  experiments  carried  out  at  Cheltenham, 
the  superiority  of  the  spray  baths  was  clearly  established;  for 
while  36  bathers  bathed  in  six  tubs  in  two  hours,  144  per- 
sons bathed  during  the  same  time  in  six  spray  baths.  Hence 
one  spray  bath  did  the  work  of  four  tub  baths.  In  the  United 
States  people's  rain  baths  have  been  very  successful  wherever 
recently  established. 

A   building  containing   people's   baths   requires   the   following 


(1)  For  the  use  of  the  public  or  the  bathers:  entrances,  vesti- 

bules and  waiting  rooms,  generally  separate  for  men 
and  women,  except  where  in  the  same  bath  different 
days  of  the  week  are  assigned  to  the  sexes;  with  benches 
or  seats,  reading  tables  and  a  drinking  fountain,  cor- 
ridors leading  to  the  bath  compartments;  bath  apart- 
ments with  sprays  and  dressing  rooms;  water-closets 
and  urinals,  which  should  never  be  omitted  and  which 
should  have  simple  and  automatic  plumbing. 

(2)  For  use  of  the  management:  ticket  office,  room  for  attend- 

ant, boiler  room  and  place  for  the  apparatus  for  warm- 
ing the  bath  water;  closets  for  storage  of  towels,  soap, 
etc.,  drying  rooms,  laundry  and  ironing  rooms,  and 
place  for  the  storage  of  fuel. 

In  some  establishments  the  laundry  is  omitted  entirely,  the 
washing  being  done  outside.  The  vestibules  are  required  to  pre- 
vent drafts  and  to  protect  the  bathers  against  catching  cold. 
Spacious,  cheerful  and  warm  waiting  rooms  are  required,  in 
which  the  public  may  wait  for  a  bath  and  also  sit  to  cool  off  after 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  79 


the  bath.  The  floors,  walls  and  seats  of  the  waiting  room  must 
be  so  arranged  that  they  can  be  frequently  washed  to  insure 
constant  cleanliness  and  inviting  appearance. 

The  ticket  office  should,  wherever  practicable,  be  so  arranged 
that  the  agent  or  bath  master  can  overlook  the  waiting  room  and 
the  corridors  leading  to  the  baths. 

The  bathing  hall  or  apartment  proper  should,  for  the  sake  of 
privacy,  be  divided  off  by  partitions  into  a  number  of  separate 
com  partments . 

Each  compartment  again  is  subdivided  and  contains  an  outer 
dressing  room  and  an  inner  room,  which  is  the  bath  proper. 
All  floors,  walls,  partitions  and  ceilings  should  consist  of  non- 
porous  material,  one  which  is  not  readily  destroyed  by  the  action 
of  soap,  warm  water,  dampness  and  steam  vapors. 

Perfect  drainage  arrangements  are  indispensable.  The  best 
plan  is  to  provide  separate  waste  pipes  and  strainers  for  each 
compartment.  The  plumbing  is  simplified  and  rendered  cheaper 
where  open  gutters  are  provided  with  a  few  drainage  outlets, 
but  to  my  mind  the  scheme  is  not  so  sanitary. 

Good  daylight  and  artificial  illumination  are  desirable,  though 
too  many  large  windows  have  a  tendency  to  create  chilling  drafts. 
Abundant  provision  for  ventilation  is  necessary,  and  all  dividing 
partitions  must  be  raised  from  the  floor  at  least  eight  inches  to 
promote  the  air  circulation. 

The  floor  should  be  water-tight  and  may  be  either  of  cement, 
asphalt,  terrazzo,  marble  mosaic  or  of  unglazed  tiling.  In  the 
bath  proper  the  floor  is  often  molded  in  cement  in  such  a  way 
as  to  have  a  depression  or  sunk  basin,  suitable  as  a  foot  bath. 

For  the  finish  of  the  walls  of  the  bathroom  slate,  marble,  al- 
berene  stone,  annealed  glass  or  tiling  are  desirable,  whereas  the 
dressing  room  may  consist  of  enamel-painted  iron,  or  of  iron 
ribs,  iron  lathing  and  hard  plaster  or  cement,  or  else  it  may  be 
of  hardwood,  well  oiled. 

At  the  ceiling  unprotected  iron  should  be  avoided,  as  it  rusts 
from  the  vapor  of  condensation  and  causes  disagreeable  drip- 
ping. 


80  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  size  of  each  complete  dressing  and  bath  compartment 
should  be  approximately  four  feet  wide  and  eight  feet  deep.  The 
entrance  from  the  corridor  should  have  a  light  flap  door,  with  an 
inside  latch  and  a  lock  on  the  outside,  for  which  the  bath  at- 
tendants should  have  the  pass  key.  The  bath  proper  is  separated 
from  the  dressing  room  either  by  a  fixed  partition,  with  or  with- 
out door,  or  more  usually  merely  by  a  rubber  or  white  duck 
curtain. 

The  bath  compartment  contains  the  inclined  overhead  spray  or 
shower,  with  or  without  regulating  or  mixing  valve;  on  the  women's 
side  it  is  desirable  to  add  an  ascending  jet  or  spray.  (See  Fig.  44b.) 
There  should  be  a  stationary  or  hinged  seat  for  the  bather,  or  else 
a  footstool,  and  where  the  floor  is  not  shaped  in  basin  form  a 
small  galvanized  iron  foot  tub  is  sometimes  added.  Each  bath 
should  also  have  a  perforated  soap  cup. 

The  dressing  room  should  contain  a  seat,  hat  and  clothes 
hooks,  bootjack,  cuspidor,  a  wooden  latticed  grating  or  a  cork 
mat,  and  sometimes  a  shelf,  with  mirror,  brush  and  comb.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  bath  door  is  hung  a  slate,  on  which  the  at- 
tendant notes  the  time  when  the  bath  is  occupied  in  order  to 
control  the  bathing.  One-half  hour  is  generally  fixed  as  the 
limit  for  each  bath,  but  on  very  frequented  days  the  time  limit  is 
sometimes  cut  down  to  twenty  minutes.  In  some  of  the  people's 
bath  houses  on  the  Continent  there  is  a  clock  placed  at  each  door, 
which  is  set  by  the  bath  attendant  when  the  bath  is  occupied. 

Among  the  first  people's  rain  baths  built  in  New  York  City 
are  the  baths  at  Center  Market  Place,  erected  under  the  auspices 
of  the  New  York  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of 
the  Poor,  and  the  Baron  de  Hirsch  baths,  fitted  up  in  a  leased 
tenement  building  at  the  corner  of  Henry  and  Market  Streets, 
by  the  Trustees  of  the  Baron  de  Hirsch  fund.  (See  Fig.  28.) 
There  are  also  a  small  number  of  baths  in  the  Demilt  Dispensary, 
at  the  corner  of  Second  Avenue  and  23d  Street,  and  a  few  in  the 
Hebrew  Institute,  at  the  corner  of  Jefferson  Street  and  East 
Broadway. 

The  Center  Market  Place   bath   is   described   and   illustrated 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  81 


in  a  small  brochure  issued  by  the  above  association.  I  give  in 
the  following  a  condensed  description  of  the  other  baths,  the 
plumbing  for  which  was  put  in  under  my  specifications  and 
superi  ntendence. 

Baths  in  the  Demilt  Dispensary  —  There  are  six  rain  baths 
and  one  tub  bath,  the  latter  for  invalids  and  for  children;  all 
baths  are  located  in  the  basement.  Provision  has  been  made  for 
the  future  fitting  up  of  six  or  more  additional  baths.  These 
baths  are  intended  to  be  used  by  men  and  women  on  alternating 
days  of  the  week. 

Each  bath  consists  of  two  compartments,  the  dressing  room 
and  the  bath  proper,  and  each  compartment  is  about  3|  feet 
square.  The  dressing  room  has  wooden  partitions  and  wooden 
lattice  doors,  about  7  feet  3  inches  high,  while  the  bath  proper 
has  walls  lined  with  l|-inch  blue-veined  Italian  marble  slabs. 
The  floor  of  both  compartments  is  concreted.  The  bathroom 
proper  has  a  depression  of  about  6  inches  in  the  floor,  with  a 
metal  strainer  over  the  waste  pipe.  Each  bath  has  also  a  large 
overflow  pipe  and  strainer  placed  in  the  side  of  the  depression 
at  a  suitable  height;  the  openings  of  the  was tepipe  strainer  are  so 
graduated  that  while  the  water  flows  off,  it  does  not  flow  out  as 
fast  as  delivered  by  the  spray;  consequently  there  are  always  a 
few  inches  of  water  in  the  bottom  of  the  trough,  so  that  the 
bather's  feet  stand  immersed  in  water. 

The  water  is  delivered  by  an  inclined  rain  shower,  standing 
at  a  height  of  about  6^  feet  from  the  floor,  and  under  such  an 
angle  that  the  "rain"  will  not  strike  above  the  neck  of  the  bather. 
The  flow  of  water  is  under  control  of  a  janitor.  As  soon  as  the 
bather  is  undressed  he  steps  into  the  bath  compartment  and 
announces,  by  an  electric  bell,  that  he  wishes  the  water  turned 
on.  The  janitor  goes  to  the  valve  board  in  the  waiting-room, 
notices  the  number  of  the  bath  on  the  annunciator,  opens  the 
respective  cold  and  hot  water  valve,  and  allows  the  water  to  mix 
in  the  mixing  chamber.  The  temperature  of  the  mixture  is 
indicated  on  a  hot-water  thermometer,  of  which  there  are  as  many 
as  there  are  mixing  chambers,  viz.,  six.  As  soon  as  the  water 


82         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

has  been  tempered  to  the  right  temperature  the  janitor  opens 
the  valve  controlling  the  shower.  When  the  bather  has  finished 
he  rings  the  bell  once  more,  and  the  water  is  shut  off. 

Each  bather  receives  a  piece  of  soap  and  a  towel.  The  charge 
for  bath,  soap  and  towel  is  ten  cents,  but  persons  who  cannot 
afford  to  pay  this  sum  can  have  a  bath  without  charge. 

It  was  at  first  contemplated  to  heat  the  water  with  steam  in 
a  Tobey  hot-water  heater,  but  no  steam  being  available  for  this 
purpose,  a  Boynton  hot-water  heater  was  put  up  in  the  basement 
with  a  200-gallon  tank  as  a  reservoir  for  hot  water. 

All  water  pipes  are  of  galvanized  wrought-iron  pipe,  and  the 
sprays  are  of  copper. 

One  separate  bathtub  is  installed  for  the  use  of  invalids  and 
mothers  who  bring  children  with  them.  It  is  an  enameled  roll- 
rim  iron  bathtub,  standing  on  legs,  raised  14  inches  high,  so  as 
to  be  at  a  convenient  height  to  bathe  children.  The  outside  of 
the  tub  and  all  wooden  partitions  are  painted  with  AspinalPs 
special  bath  enamel. 

The  plumbing  work  pertaining  to  the  baths  is  carried  out  in 
strict  accordance  with  the  New  York  Board  of  Health  regulations. 
Each  bath  is  trapped  separately,  and  all  traps  are  amply  ventilated. 

Water  is  obtained  by  meter  measurement  through  a  1-inch 
tap  in  the  street  main,  with  a  2-inch  galvanized  wrought-iron 
service  pipe. 

The  lighting  is  done  by  gas,  and  heating  by  the  hot-water 
heater  and  some  steam  pipes. 

The  author  carried  out  the  following  experiments  by  meter 
measurement  of  the  quantity  of  water  used  in  these  baths: 

The  bathtub,  which  is  5\  feet  long  and  24  inches  wide,  required, 
when  filled  to  within  5  inches  of  the  overflow,  about  6  cubic  feet, 
or  45  United  States  gallons  of  water.  With  both  faucets  running 
it  took  about  two  minutes  to  fill  the  bathtub;  the  pressure  of  water 
was  estimated  at  about  20  pounds  per  square  inch.  The  shower 
bath,  on  the  other  hand,  with  both  hot  and  cold  water  valves 
about  half  open,  delivered  4.75  cubic  feet  in  five  minutes,  or 
35.625  United  States  gallons  in  five  minutes,  or  7.125  gallons 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


83 


per  minute.  Allowing  three  minutes  as  an  average  time  for  the 
shower  running  for  each  bather,  the  water  consumption  in  the 
shower  bath  was  about  21.375  United  States  gallons. 

In  other  words,  the  proportion  between  water  used  in  the  OP- 


SECTION  A-B 
FIG.  27a.      ELEVATION  OF  RAIN  BATH  IN  THE  HEBREW  INSTITUTE,  N.  Y. 

dinary  bathtub  and  water  used  for  the  spray  bath  would  be  as 
45  to  21.375,  or  more  than  twice  as  much  for  the  bathtub. 

Baths  in  the  Hebrew  Institute  —  This  building,  designed  by 
Brunner  &  Try  on,  architects,  is  located  in  the  eastern  portion 
of  the  lower  part  of  New  York  City.  It  is  intended  for  similar 


84 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


purposes  as  the  Cooper  Institute,  and  contains  a  large  assembly 
room,  with  stage,  class  rooms,  a  reading  room  and  library,  a 
workshop  and  gymnasium. 

The  rain  or  shower  baths  are  located  on  the  top  floor,  and  there 
are  five  of  these.  The  floor  is  made  of  artificial  stone  (flintolithic 
pavement),  and  is  raised  one  step  above  the  general  floor  level. 

The  bath  compartments  are  very  roomy,  each  measuring 
about  4x5  feet.  (See  Fig.  27a  and  b.)  The  walls  are  lined  to  a 


FIG.  27b.  PLAN  OF  RAIN  BATH  IN  THE  HEBREW  INSTITUTE,  N.  Y. 

height  of  6  feet  with  blue-veined  Italian  marble  slabs.  There 
are  in  front  of  each  bath  a  cloth  curtain  to  prevent  splashing, 
and  a  light  lattice  door  of  wood.  In  this  compartment  the 
bathing  under  the  shower  is  done;  the  undressing  and  dressing 
are  done  in  an  adjoining  large  room  with  lockers. 

The  sprays  and  pipes  are  of  nickel-plated  brass.     Each  spray 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  85 


stands  at  the  proper  angle  of  inclination  at  a  height  of  about 
7  feet  from  the  floor,  and  is  controlled  by  a  self-closing  cock  with 
chain  and  pull  attached.  The  bather  turns  on  the  cold  water 
himself,  and  tempers  it  to  the  desired  temperature  by  turning 
on  the  hot  water.  Each  mixing  chamber  has  a  thermometer 
attached.  While  bathing  the  chain  and  pull  are  hooked  up  so 
as  to  leave  both  hands  of  the  bather  free.  The  water  is  supplied 
from  two  large  tanks  located  on  the  roof  of  the  building. 

Hot  water  is  obtained  from  a  Tobey  hot-water  heater,  located 
in  the  basement,  and  heated  by  steam  from  the  heating  boilers. 
This  heater  differs  from  ordinary  hot-water  tanks  in  having  an 
automatic  steam  shut-off,  operated  by  means  of  an  adjustable 
expansion  rod  in  the  top  of  the  heater.  It  is  very  economical 
in  the  use  of  steam,  for  when  no  hot  water  is  drawn  the  steam 
valve  closes  automatically.  A  lock  nut  and  screw  on  the  end  of 
the  expansion  rod  can  be  so  set  and  regulated  as  to  open  the  steam 
valve  much  or  little  as  may  be  desired,  and  thus  the  desired 
temperature  of  the  hot  water  can  be  regulated  at  the  heater;  that 
is,  the  heater  can  be  adjusted  to  give  hot  water  of  any  desired 
temperature  (within  certain  limits).  Overheating  of  the  water 
may  thus  be  prevented,  and  there  is  consequently  no  danger  of 
scalding  a  person  by  hot  water. 

The  rooms  are  lighted  by  both  electric  incandescent  and  gas 
lights.  The  heating  is  accomplished  by  direct  steam  radiators. 
Ventilating  registers  are  set  in  the  walls,  connecting  with  large 
outlet  flues.  All  plumbing  relating  to  the  baths  is  arranged  in 
conformity  with  the  rules  of  the  New  York  Board  of  Health. 

Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  Baths  —  These  baths,  erected  by  the 
trustees  of  the  Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund,  were  located  in  a  leased 
corner  building  in  the  eastern  end  of  lower  New  York  City,  the 
basement  and  street  floor  being  transformed  into  a  bath  house 
after  plans  and  specifications  prepared  by  the  writer. 

The  street  floor  is  intended  for  women  and  the  basement  for 
men. 

Provision  is  made  for  fifteen  spray  baths  for  men  and  fifteen 
baths  for  women;  but  of  these  there  were  originally  put  up  nine 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


baths  for  men  and  eleven  baths  for  women.  (See  Fig.  28.)  Be- 
sides the  spray  baths,  the  street  floor  contains  one  bathtub  for 
invalids'  and  children's  use,  two  water-closets,  one  slop  sink,  and 

one  drinking  trough. 
The  basement  contains 
one  drinking  trough, 
one  slop  sink,  a  water- 
closet  and  a  urinal,  two 
hot-water  heaters  and  a 
large  hot-water  tank. 
Each  floor  contains  a 
small  office,  with  railing, 
desk  and  chair,  where 
the  tickets  are  sold. 
Baths  for  adults,  with 
soap  and  towel,  cost  five 
cents;  and  for  each  child 
a  charge  of  two  cents 
was  made. 

The  floor  was  made 
throughout  of  artificial 
cement  stone,  and  all 
the  rain  baths  have  de- 
pressed basins,  molded 
in  cement  for  the  bather 
to  stand  in.  The  ar- 
rangement of  each  bath 
was  similar  to  that  in 
the  Demilt  Dispensary, 
except  that  for  all  parti- 
tions and  divisions  gal- 
vanized corrugated  iron 
was  used  instead  of 

wood  or  marble.  This  galvanized  corrugated  iron  was  fastened 
to  angle  and  T  irons,  and  all  ironwork  was  painted  with  five 
coats  of  special  bath  enamel,  white  in  color.  Each  bath  compart- 


PIG.  28.    PLAN  OF  BARON  DE  HIRSCH 
PEOPLE'S  BATHS  IN  N.  Y. 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


87 


ment  contained,  besides 
the  rain  shower,  a  soap 
cup  and  a  hook  to 
fasten  the  pull  of  the 
self-closing  bibb.  Each 
dressing  compartment 
contained  a  hardwood 
seat  and  six  enameled 
iron  clothes  hooks.  The 
dimensions  of  each  bath 
were  approximately  8 
feet  deep  by  4  feet 
wide,  and  the  bath 
proper  was  3J  to  4  feet 
deep  and  4  feet  wide. 

Water  was  obtained 
by  direct  street  pressure 
through  a  1-inch  tap 
and  2-inch  galvanized 
wrought-iron  service 
pipe,  on  which  a  2-inch 
Thomson  water  meter 
was  placed. 

In  these  baths  hot 
water  was  generated  in 
two  Hitchings  hot-water 
heaters,  and  stored  in 
a  400-gallon  galvanized 
hot-water  tank.  From 
here  the  hot  water  was 
carried  to  a  large  mix- 
ing chamber  of  30  gal- 
lons capacity,  and  the 
cold  water  was  also  car- 
ried to  it,  and  the  two 
were  mixed  here  bv  the 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


bath  attendant  or  janitor  to  the  desired  temperature,  which  was 
indicated  by  a  special  hot-water  thermometer.  The  tempered 
water  was  carried  to  the  sprays  in  each  bath,  so  that  the  bather 
could  not  control  the  temperature  himself.  On  the  other  hand, 
he  could,  by  means  of  the  self-closing  bibb  controlling  the 
spray,  open  the  latter  and  allow  it  to  run  as  long  as  he  wanted. 
This  arrangement  was  adopted  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  having 


FIG.  30.    INTERIOR  VIEW,  SHOWING  DRESSING  AND  BATH  COMPART- 
MENTS, IN  HICKS  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATHS. 


a  large  number  of  electric  bells.  All  water  pipes  were  of  galva- 
nized wrought  iron,  and  the  sprays  of  copper,  of  special  construc- 
tion and  shape. 

Cold  water  was  supplied  directly  to  the  drinking  troughs,  water- 
closets  and  the  urinals,  also  to  hose  bibbs  for  washing  the  entire 
floor.  Both  hot  and  cold  water  were  supplied  to  the  slop  sinks 
and  to  the  ordinary  bathtub  for  children's  use. 

Each  floor  had  two  floor  cesspools  to  remove  water  from  floor 
washing.  The  best  sanitary  fixtures  and  appliances  were  used 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


89 


throughout:  porcelain  hopper  closets,  with  flush  operated  auto- 
matically by  seat  action;  porcelain  urinal  with  intermittent 
automatic  flush;  porcelain  glazed  rim  slop  sinks  and  porcelain 
drinking  troughs.  The  bathtub  was  of  enameled  iron,  with 


FIG.  31.    INTERIOR  VIEW,  SHOWING  CORRIDOR  IN  MEN'S  BATHS, 
HICKS  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATHS. 


glazed  rolled  edge,  and  stood  on  high  legs.  All  walls,  ironwork, 
pipes,  the  slop  sinks  and  the  tubs,  etc.,  were  painted  with  five 
coats  of  white  bath  enamel  paint. 

All  the  plumbing  conformed  to  the  New  York  Board  of  Health 
regulations. 

The  rooms  were  lighted  with  gas  —  electric  light  not  being 


90 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


available  in  the  district  —  and  the  heating  was  done  by  means 
of  direct  hot- water  radiation.  Efficient  ventilation  was  provided 
by  means  of  a  large  16  x  24  inch  galvanized  iron  flue,  inside  of 
which  the  11-inch  round  smoke  pipe  from  the  heaters  was  car- 


SECOND-FLOOR  PLAN 


FIRST-FLOOR  PLAN 


FIKST  AND  SECOND  FLOOR  PLANS  OF  PTTKIN  AVENUE 
PEOPLE'S  BATHS,  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


ried  to  the  top  of  the  roof  of  the  building.     From  this  flue  branch 
vent  ducts  were  carried  to  each  floor. 

Fig.  29  shows  the  street-floor  plan  of  a  people's  bath  house 
(the  Hicks  Street  bath),  as  recently  erected  in  Brooklyn.  As  the 
illustration  shows,  there  are  separate  entrances  and  waiting 
rooms  for  men  and  women,  with  one  controlling  office  for  the 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  91 


bath  attendants  in  front.  There  are  fourteen  spray  baths  and 
two  tub  baths  for  men  and  fifteen  spray  baths  and  three  tub  baths 
for  women.  Separate  toilet  rooms  are  provided  at  the  end  of  the 


FIG.  33.    INTERIOR  VIEW  ALONG  CORRIDOR,  IN  PITKIN  AVENUE 
PEOPLE'S  BATHS,  BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 


large  bathroom  corridor.  The  second  floor  (not  shown)  con- 
tains the  spray  baths  for  boys.  Figs.  30  and  31,  taken  from  a 
circular  on  "People's  Baths,"  issued  by  the  J.  L.  Mott  Iron 


92 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


Works,  give  interior  views  of  this  bath  house.  Fig.  30  shows  a 
view  of  two  adjoining  spray  baths,  the  spray  in  one  room  being 
kept  running.  The  front  compartments  are  used  as  dressing 
rooms  and  are  fitted  with  plain  wooden  seats.  Quarter-circle 
seats  are  also  provided  in  the  bath  compartments  for  the  bathers 
to  rest  while  washing  their  feet. 

Fig.  31  shows  a  view  of  the  wide  corridor,  on  which  the  doors 
of  the  spray  bath  compartments  open.  A  drinking-water  foun- 
tain is  provided  for  the  use  of  the  bathers;  the  compartment  at 


FIG.  34.    PLAN  OF  GROUND  FLOOR  OF  A  LARGE  PEOPLE'S  BATH 
HOUSE,  PROPOSED  FOR  NEW  YORK  CITY. 


the  right-hand  end  of  the  corridor  is  the  men's  toilet  room.  A 
large  skylight  serves  to  furnish  daylight  illumination  and  to  ven- 
tilate the  entire  apartment,  which  after  dark  is  lighted  up  by  a 
series  of  electric  cluster  lights  with  reflectors. 

In  Fig.  32  I  illustrate  both  floor  plans  of  the  recently  completed 
municipal  people's  bath  house  of  Brooklyn,  located  at  Pitkin 
Avenue.  This,  like  the  Hicks  Street  bath,  has  separate  entrances 
for  men  and  women,  and  from  the  men's  side  a  staircase  leads  to 
the  second  floor,  which  is  ordinarily  used  for  boys,  but  may  be 
devoted  to  men  bathers  on  days  of  unusually  large  attendance. 
The  women's  side  contains  twenty-eight  spray  baths  and  three 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  -03 


tub  baths,  the  men's  side  twenty-eight  spray  baths  and  two  tubs, 
the  boys'  floor  thirty-eight  spray  baths  and  one  tub. 

Fig.  33  is  an  interior  view  of  the  bathroom  corridor,  showing 
the  spray-bath  compartments  located  on  both  sides  of  the  same. 
All  the  dividing  partitions  in  this  bath  are  of  alberene  stone,  and 
the  view  is  from  a  photograph  kindly  furnished  to  me  by  the  Al- 
berene Stone  Company. 

Both  the  Hicks  Street  and  the  Pitkin  Avenue  bath  houses  are 
again  referred  to  in  Chapter  VIII,  where  their  dimensions  and 
cost  are  also  given. 

In  Fig.  34  I  illustrate  the  ground-floor  plan  of  a  larger  people's 
bath  house,  designed  by  Cady,  Berg  &  See,  architects,  with  three 
divisions  on  the  same  floor,  one  for  men,  one  for  women  and  a 
third  for  boys.  The  men's  baths  are  about  twice  as  large  as  those 
for  women,  and  contain  double  the  number  of  spray  baths.  No 
tub  baths  are  installed  on  this  floor. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PEOPLE'S  BATHS  —  (Continued) 

THE  first  rain  baths,  erected  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  chapter,  demonstrated  almost  at 
once  the  practical  success  of  the  system,  and  the  construction  of 
some  larger  public  bath  establishments  followed  soon  after. 

Among  bath  houses  in  New  York  should  be  mentioned  a  large 
one  in  Rivington  Street,  completed  in  1901,  after  a  much  delayed 
erection,  and  opened  to  the  public  in  March,  1901. 

A  resume  of  the  practical  value  in  municipal  sanitation  of 
the  rain  bath,  from  a  medical  point  of  view,  appeared  as  an  edi- 
torial, by  Dr.  Geo.  F.  Shrady,  in  the  "New  York  Medical  Record " 
of  June  22,  1895. 

The  value  of  people's  rain  baths  in  promoting  civic  cleanliness 
was  also  pointed  out  by  the  writer  in  two  reports  on  "People's 
Baths,"  which  he  prepared  in  August  and  November,  1895,  while 
honorary  consulting  engineer  of  the  Brooklyn  Health  Depart- 
ment.* The  substance  of  these  reports  appeared  as  an  article, 
written  by  him  at  the  request  of  the  editor  of  "Public  Improve- 
ments," in  1895.  The  following  is  an  abstract  of  these  reports 
and  paper: 

PEOPLE'S  RAIN  BATHS 

While  it  is  true  that  dwelling  houses  are  fitted  up  in  no  other  country  with 
more  comfort  and  convenience  than  in  the  United  States,  large  sums  being  ex- 
pended in  the  installation  of  plumbing  and  bathing  fixtures,  it  is  nevertheless 
a  fact  that  even  here  the  dwellings  of  the  poor,  the  tenement  houses  in  particular, 
lack  bathing  facilities. 

As  a  proof  for  this  statement  I  cite  from  the  Seventh  Special  Report  of  1894 
of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Labor,  on  "The  Slums  of  Baltimore,  Chicago, 
New  York  and  Philadelphia,"  the  following  facts: 

Of  480  houses  in  the  slum  districts  of  New  York  only  17  had  bathrooms. 
Of  378  houses  in  the  slum  districts  of  Philadelphia  only  67  had  bathrooms. 
*  This  report  was  made  before  any  people's  baths  were  built  in  Brooklyn. 

94 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  95 


In  New  York     97.67  per  cent  of  families  in  tenements  had  no  bathrooms. 
In  Baltimore       92.65    "      "     " 
In  Chicago          97.67    "      "      " 
In  Philadelphia  83.10    "       "     " 

The  New  York  Tenement  Commission  Report  of  1894  states  that  out  of  255,000 
inhabitants  of  tenements  inspected  under  their  supervision,  only  306  had  bath- 
tubs in  the  houses  where  they  lived.  In  a  typical  tenement  block  of  Philadelphia 
there  was  one  tub  to  155  people. 

The  State  of  New  York  was  the  first  State  where  the  sanitary  disadvantages, 
due  to  lack  of  bathing  facilities  for  the  masses,  were  provided  for  by  the  Laws 
of  1895,  Chapter  351,  approved  by  the  Governor  of  the  State  on  April  18,  1895. 

This  legislative  act  contemplates  the  establishment  of  bath  houses,  which 
shall  afford  ample  facilities  for  cleansing  the  body,  cleanliness  being  important  for 
the  maintenance  of  health  of  a  city  population. 

The  New  York  Bath  House  Act  applies  to  the  following  seven  cities  of  the 
State,  viz.: 

Greater  New  York,  with  an  estimated  population  of  3,545,899  (1899). 

Buffalo,  "      "          "                 "  "  400,000 

Rochester,  "      "          "  "  178,000 

Syracuse,  "      "          "                 "  "  136,000 

Albany,  "  "  101,000 

Troy,  "  64,000 

Utica,  "  "  58,500 

The  City  of  Buffalo  erected  a  public  bath  house,  containing  twenty  baths,  which 
was  open  to  the  public  in  the  year  1897,  and  which  was  at  once  well  patronized 
by  workingmen.  Another  bath  house  has  since  been  added.  In  Rochester 
a  public  bath  house  has  recently  been  completed  and  the  first  week  over  1,000 
people  used  it.  The  cities  of  Albany  and  Syracuse  have  plans  under  considera- 
tion, and  in  Troy  the  matter  was  agitated,  and  a  bath  house  was  opened  in  1901, 
containing  24  sprays. 

Of  the  smaller  cities,  not  coming  under  the  provisions  of  the  mandatory  act, 
the  City  of  Yonkers  has  distinguished  itself  by  being  the  first  city  to  establish  a 
municipal  bath  house,  and  by  erecting  two  people's  baths,  but  we  have  heard  noth- 
ing yet  from  cities  like  Newburg,  Poughkeepsie,  Elmira.  Binghamton,  Oswego, 
Kingston,  Schenectady  or  Auburn,  in  all  of  which  a  public  bath  house,  however 
small,  would,  doubtless,  promote  the  public  health. 

Before  the  City  of  Brooklyn  was  combined  by  annexation  with  New  York 
(1898),  the  writer,  who  held  the  position  of  honorary  consulting  engineer  to  the 
Health  Department,  submitted  in  August  and  November,  1895,  to  the  Health 
Department  reports,  with  preliminary  plans  on  the  question  of  erecting  people's 
baths  in  Brooklyn. 

In  the  establishment  of  public  bath  houses  contemplated  by  the  act,  the  first 
question  which  naturally  arises  is,  what  system  or  form  of  bath  shall  be  adopted  ? 
The  act  is,  obviously,  not  designed  to  provide  baths  for  pleasurable  exercise,  nor 
baths  merely  for  the  cooling  and  refreshing  of  the  body,  such  as  swimming 
baths. 


96         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

Generally  speaking,  we  may  distinguish  three  systems  of  baths  for  bath  houses, 
viz.,  the  swimming  bath,  the  tub  bath  and  the  spray  or  shower  bath. 

Of  these  the  first,  the  swimming  bath,  is  not  a  cleansing  bath,  in  the  sense  of 
the  above  act.  In  a  swimming  bath  the  use  of  soap  is  not,  and  cannot  be,  per- 
mitted. The  large  and  luxurious  marble  or  tile-lined  tank  or  plunge  is  not  in- 
tended for  cleansing  purposes.  Moreover  such  baths  are  expensive  to  build, 
and  require  large  quantities  of  both  cold  and  warm  water.  They,  furthermore, 
require  preliminary  cleansing  baths,  in  which  persons  must  soap  and  scrub  them- 
selves, before  being  permitted  to  enter  the  pool  of  clean  water.  All  this  involves 
increased  expense,  both  in  first  cost  and  in  maintenance,  therefore  the  swimming 
bath  is  almost  out  of  the  question  for  free  people's  baths.* 

The  second  form  of  bath,  namely,  the  tub  bath,  is  also  unadapted,  and  this 
for  the  following  reasons,  viz. : 

(1)  Cheap  tubs,  such  as  zinc  or  copper  lined  tubs,  soon  become  dented  in  use, 
lose  their  polish  and  cleanly  appearance,  wear  out  quickly  and  have  to  be  replaced 
at  frequent  intervals.     Galvanized  iron  tubs  have  a  rough  surface  and  untidy 
appearance.     Porcelain-lined  or  enameled  iron  tubs,  which  are  better,  are  much 
more  expensive,  and  the  enamel  surface  —  unless  used  with  care,  which  in  a  public 
free  bath  house  cannot  be  expected  —  is  apt  to  chip  or  crack  off.     The  best  tubs, 
viz.,  glazed  stoneware  or  heavy  solid  porcelain  tubs,  are  clumsy  and  expensive, 
and  require  very  large  quantities  of  hot  water. 

(2)  The  maintenance  of  tubs  and  of  bathtub  fittings  is  likewise  quite  expensive. 

(3)  Tub  baths  require  a  good  deal  of  space. 

(4)  With  tub  baths  much  time  is  lost  in  filling  the  tub,  in  tempering  the  water, 
in  emptying  the  tub  after  the  bath,  and  in  cleaning  and  scrubbing  the  same  after 
each  use.     During  the  rush  hours  there  would  be  a  good  deal  of  temptation  for 
the  bath  attendants  to  neglect  the  thorough  cleaning  of  the  tubs. 

(5)  Tub  baths  require  provision  for  a  large  quantity  of  water,  and  propor- 
tionately much  hot  water;  hence  they  are  expensive  in  the  consumption  of  fuel 
for  heating  the  water. 

(6)  Bathing  in  tubs  requires  a  good  deal  of  time  for  each  bather. 

(7)  When  unclean,  dusty  or  soiled  persons  take  a  bath  in  a  tub  bath,  their 
bodies  are  very  soon  immersed  in  dirty  water,  and  in  order  to  become  clean  they 
necessarily  have  to  empty  and  refill  the  tub  several  times,  which  means  a  greatly 
increased  water  consumption. 

(8)  In  the  use  of  tub  baths  in  free  public  baths  there  is  some  real,  not  merely 
a  fancied,  danger  of  transmission  of  skin  or  contagious  diseases  from  one  person 
to  another. 

(9)  Finally  it  is  a  fact,  well  known  to  physicians,  that  bathing  in  tubs  has 
often  a  debilitating  effect. 

I  have  enumerated  the  chief  objections  to  tubs  at  length,  because  this  matter 
is  not  generally  understood.  It  is,  for  the  reasons  given,  an  undisputed  fact  that 
tub  baths  are  not  well  adapted  as  cleansing  baths  in  people's  bath  houses. 

*I  say  "almost"  advisedly,  because  there  are  a  few  people's  baths  both  here 
and  in  Europe  which  contain  both  shower  or  spray  baths  and  swimming  tanks. 

W.  P.  G. 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  97 


The  third  form  of  bath  mentioned,  namely,  the  shmcer,  spray  or  rain  bath,  is 
by  far  the  best  form  for  free  people's  baths.  It  is  economical,  practical  and  effi- 
cient. It  is  also  the  simplest,  quickest,  cheapest,  cleanest  and  in  all  respects 
best  form  of  bath.  It  requires  the  least  space,  the  least  time,  the  least  amount  of 
water,  the  least  amount  of  fuel  for  water  heating,  the  least  attendance  and  the 
least  cost  of  maintenance.  It  cleanses,  refreshes  and  invigorates  the  bather. 

In  all  modern  rain  baths,  simple  showers  or  sprays  of  tepid  water  replace  the 
discarded  tub.  The  vertical  descending  stream  from  the  shower  being  objec- 
tionable to  some  people,  particularly  women,  the  spray  is  placed  inclined  at  such 
an  angle  as  not  to  strike  the  head  of  the  bather,  except  when  he  purposely  places 
same  under  the  stream. 

The  illustration,  Fig.  9,  shows  in  plan  and  vertical  section  the  general  arrange- 
ment of  a  single  rain-bath  compartment.  Its  width  may  be  from  3  feet  6  inches 
to  4  feet  6  inches,  and  the  depth  from  7  to  9  feet.  A  dividing  partition  is  placed 
between  the  dressing-room  and  the  bath  proper.  The  dressing-room  contains 
a  plain  seat,  some  clothes  hooks  and  a  bootjack.  The  bath  proper  contains  the 
apparatus  for  mixing  or  tempering  the  water,  one  of  the  most  successful  being 
the  German  so-called  "Gegenstrom"  apparatus,  in  which  the  water  is  warmed 
by  steam.  Sometimes  the  floor  of  the  bath  is  molded  in  concrete  so  as  to  form  a 
shallow  basin  or  foot  bath.  A  seat  is  also  provided  for  the  bather  when  washing 
his  feet. 

A  study  of  the  illustration  and  a  visit  to  any  public  bath  house  fitted  with  sprays 
discloses  the  following  chief  advantages  of  the  rain  bath: 

(a)  Such  a  bath  is  always  ready  for  use,  it  requires  but  little  attendance  and 
is,  therefore,  economical  in  management.     No  time  is  lost  in  filling  and  emptying 
the  tubs;   the  water  issues  from  the  spray  already  tempered  to  the  right  degree, 
very  little  cleaning  and  scrubbing  after  the  bath  is  required,  hence  the  bath  is 
economical  in  management. 

(b)  The  rain  bath  is  cheaper  in  first  cost  than  tub  baths.     The  expenses  for 
maintenance  and  for  repairs  are  considerably  less.     The  entire  apparatus  re- 
quired in  fitting  up  rain  baths  is  simple  and  not  liable  to  get  out  of  order. 

(c)  The  rain  bath  requires  less  time  in  application,  hence  a  larger  number  of 
persons  can  bathe  in  a  given  time. 

(d)  The  space  occupied  by  the  spray  bath  is  less  than  that  required  by  tubs, 
hence  more  bathers  can  be  accommodated  in  a  given  space. 

(e)  The  rain  bath  requires  much  less  water  than  a  tub  bath;  it  is  therefore 
economical  in  fuel. 

(/)   The  tepid  or  cool  spray  has  a  well-known  mechanical  and  stimulating  effect. 

In  a  sanitary  point  of  view,  the  following  are  matters  of  greatest  importance: 
first,  the  body  of  the  bather  does  not  come  at  all  in  contact  with  the  soiled  water, 
and  the  water  falling  from  the  douche  passes  away  almost  as  fast  as  delivered; 
second,  there  is  no  danger  of  communicating  contagious  diseases  from  one  bather 
to  another. 

The  people's  rain  bath  is  no  longer  an  experiment.  It  has  been  used  in  Ger- 
many for  many  years  as  the  cheapest  and  best  form  of  people's  bath,  and  has 
proven  very  popular  and  eminently  successful.  Like  results  have  been  obtained 


98  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

wherever  it  has  been  introduced  in  the  United  States,  and  it  is  destined  to  become 
the  favorite  method  of  bathing. 

Some  statistical  figures,  taken  from  the  record  of  people's  baths  in  various 
cities,  and  showing  their  use  and  growing  patronage,  are  submitted  as  being  of 
general  interest.  These  figures  prove  conclusively  that  rain  baths  are  exceedingly 
popular  with  the  masses. 

The  Center  Market  Place  Bath  in  New  York,  erected  under  the  auspices  of  the 
New  York  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  on  a  lot  25  by 
75  feet,  completed  in  1891,  and  opened  in  August,  1891,  cost  about  $28,000  ex- 
clusive of  the  land.  It  contains  29  bath  compartments  and  shows  the  following 
steadily  increasing  attendance: 

f  42,722  men 

From  October,  1891-September,  1892,    59,440  baths  4    7,460  women 

(    9,258  children 
(  52,624  men 

1892-  "  1893,    68,629      "       \    8,267  women 

(    7,738  children 
(  59,908  men 

1893-  "  1894,    80,537      "       \  10,757  women 

(   9,872  children 

{65,517  men 
12,581  women 
10,636  children 
(  69,428  men 

1895-  "  1896,    93,808      "       \  14,096  women 

(  10,284  children 

1896-  "  1897,  101,023      " 

C  85,128  men 

1897-  "  1898,  115,685      '        \  15,128  women 

(  15,509  children 

The  total  number  of  bathers,  since  the  opening  of  the  bath  house,  on  Aug.  17, 
1891,  has  been  618,360.  The  total  expenses  in  eight  years  amounted  to  $38,213.29, 
and  the  receipts  to  $29,100.80,  showing  a  deficit  of  $9,112.49,  or  an  average  of 
$1,139.06  per  year.  The  average  cost  of  a  bath  was  6.2  cents. 

The  Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund  Baths  showed,  in  1895,  the  following  results: 
total  number  of  bathers  from  date  of  opening  (1892)  to  Jan.  1,  1895,  was  199,308, 
as  follows:  men,  159,323;  women,  39,985;  of  children  no  record  was  kept.  From 
January  to  August,  1895,  34,331  baths  have  been  taken.  The  largest  number 
of  bathers  in  one  month  was  9,256,  the  largest  number  in  one  day  712,  the  annual 
cost,  including  rent,  over  and  above  all  receipts  was  $1,200. 

In  Chicago  the  monthly  attendance  at  the  Carter  H.  Harrison  free  baths, 
opened  in  1894,  situated  on  a  lot  25  feet  by  100  feet,  which  contain  18  showers 
and  have  a  capacity  of  2,600  persons  per  week,  was  in  1894  and  1895  as  follows: 

January 2,450  July 9,951 

February 4,500  August 11,766 

March 5,779  September 9,338 

April 7,610  October 7,848 

May 7,948  November 6,852 

June 10,186  December 6,951 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  99 


Total  in  one  year,  91,379,  of  which  71,045  were  males,  and  20,334  females. 
From  January,  1894,  to  June,  1896,  226,538  have  been  given. 

A  few  statistics  from  rain  baths  in  Germany  are  equally  striking. 
In  Magdeburg  a  public  rain  bath  had  the  following  attendance: 

From  April,  1890-April,  1891,  total  64,498 

i«Ql_    «      i«Q3       «     fio  Q «.«  J  59,013  men 

"°  <  10,933  women 

The  Municipal  people's  bath  houses  in  Vienna,  Austria,  show  a  steady  growth 
in  popularity.  In  1888  the  first  bath  house  was  built,  and  in  1897  there  were 
eleven  bath  houses,  in  which  over  a  million  of  baths  were  taken.  (See  the  article 
below.) 

The  total  number  of  baths  per  year  was  as  follows: 

In  1888,  78,000     (1  bath  house) 

"  1889,  96,000     (1     "         "    ) 

"  1890,  144,000    (3  bath  houses) 

"  1891,  249,000     (4     "         "     ) 

"  1892,  342,000    (8     "         "      ) 

"  1893,  320,000     (9     "         "      ) 

"  1894,  663,000  (10     "         "      ) 

"  1895,  788,000  (10     "         "      ) 

"  1896,  841,000  (10     "         "      ) 

"  1897,  1,014,000  (11     "         "      ) 

In  1897  about  one-fifth  of  all  bathers  were  women,  the  greatest  percentage 
of  women  was  25.3. 

The  largest  frequency,  15.6  per  cent  of  the  total  annual  number  of  baths,  occurred 
in  June;  the  least  frequency,  4.2  per  cent,  in  January.  The  largest  number  of 
baths  were  taken  on  Saturdays  (nearly  33$  per  cent),  and  next  comes  Sunday 
forenoon  with  20  per  cent. 

In  Berlin  the  people's  bath  house  of  the  Oranienburg  suburb  shows  the  follow- 
ing statistics: 

1888-1889  spray  baths  21,065  |  ^'jjgg     ' 

1889-1890  "  "  25,194  -. 

1890-1891  "  "  22,370  -j 

1891-1892  "  "  22,386 

1892-1893  "  "  24,828  j 

1893-1894  "  "  30,251  j 

1894-1895  "  "  34,306  j 

1895-1896  "  "  36,202  { 


100  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

It  will  be  noticed  that  comparatively  few  women  took  spray  baths,  and  this 
may  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  above  bath  house  is  also  provided  with  tub 
baths,  which  were  comparatively  more  frequented  by  women  than  by  men. 

The  statistics  of  the  number  of  spray  baths  taken  in  the  Karl  Miiller  People's 
Baths,  of  Munich,  furnish  a  striking  example  of  the  increasing  popularity  of  spray 
baths.  The  figures  are  as  follows: 

During  8  months  of  the  year  1901  45,288  baths  were  taken, 
the  year  1902  86,107       " 

"      "  1903  96,616       " 

«      "  1904  101,897     " 


The  details  of  the  planning  and  interior  arrangements  of  public  baths  open 
the  entire  year  may  be  modified  in  many  ways  to  suit  special  conditions  of  site, 
size  of  lot,  etc. 

In  general,  it  is  a  well-established  fact  that  a  larger  number  of  small  bath 
houses,  suitably  distributed,  are  better  than  one  or  a  few  centrally  located  large 
bath  houses. 

Concerning  the  provision  for  the  two  sexes,  it  is  in  my  judgment  better  to  estab- 
lish separate  bath  apartments  for  men  and  women,  rather  than  have  separate  hours 
or  days  assigned  to  them,  for  the  women  and  girls  who  would  patronize  the  baths 
are  likely  to  be  employed  during  the  same  hours  as  the  men.  More  bath  com- 
partments should  be  provided  for  male  than  for  female  bathers,  as  experience 
everywhere  shows  that  the  men  prefer  the  shower  baths  more  than  the  women. 

The  exterior  of  people's  bath  houses  should  be  plain  and  without  any  lavish- 
ness  in  design,  yet  easily  recognizable  (Fig.  36);  the  construction  should  be  sub- 
stantial, economical,  and  above  all  cleanly,  sanitary  and  inviting.  There  should 
be  vestibules  and  waiting-rooms,  separate  for  men  and  women,  also  a  ticket  office, 
a  number  of  bath  and  dressing  apartments  and  toilet-room  conveniences.  For 
the  use  of  the  management  there  should  be  rooms  for  male  and  female  attendants, 
closets  for  towels  and  soap,  broom  and  pail  closets,  a  boiler-room,  a  laundry,  a 
drying  and  ironing  room,  also  a  place  for  storage  of  fuel.  (See  Fig.  35.) 

In  view  of  the  existing  lack  of  bathing  facilities  in  the  houses  of  the  poorer 
classes  of  our  population,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  simple,  cheap  and 
unpretentious  bath  houses  be  provided,  particularly  in  the  crowded  tenement 
districts.  Where  facilities  for  bodily  cleanliness  are  offered,  an  improved  state  of 
health  in  a  community  is  sure  to  follow.  The  expenditures  required  for  the  estab- 
lishment and  maintenance  of  free  public  baths  should  therefore  be  considered 
as  being  quite  as  appropriate  and  necessary  in  the  interest  of  the  public  health, 
as  the  money  expended  for  street  cleaning,  sewerage,  water  .supply  and  garbage 
disposal. 

Regarding  the  cost  of  people's  bath  houses,  constructed  on  the  rain-bath 
principle,  exact  estimates  can  only  be  given  for  definite  sizes  of  buildings  and 
building  sites.  In  a  general  way  it  may  be  said  that  a  two-story  bath  house,  on  a 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


101 


50-foot  by  100-foot  lot,  capable  of  furnishing  baths  for  from  2,000  to  3,000  persons 
per  day,  could  be  constructed  and  equipped  for  about  $40,000.  A  two-story  bath 
house,  on  a  25-foot  lot,  would  cost  about  $25,000,  exclusive  of  the  cost  of  the 
land* 


FOB   MEN 

GROUND  FLOOR  PLAN 
FIG.  35.    PLAN  OF  A  PROPOSED  TWO-STORY  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE. 


Since  1900  a  number  of  other  people's  baths  were  provided 
in  New  York  City,  such  as  the  East  38th  Street  baths  and  those 

*  It  should  be  noted  that  since  the  report  was  made  the  prices  for  material  and 
labor  have  advanced  in  some  cases  as  much  as  50  and  60  per  cent,  which  explains 
the  higher  cost  of  the  more  recent  bath  houses,  spoken  of  later  on  in  this  chapter. 

W.  P.  G. 


102  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

in  the  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Seward  Park  Pavilions,  for  all  of 
which  the  writer  furnished  the  plans  and  specifications. 

In  Brooklyn,  too,  several  people's  bath  houses  were  erected 
by  the  municipality,  among  these  being  the  Hicks  Street  baths, 
opened  up  in  September,  1903,  of  which  Figs.  29,  30  and  31 
show  the  plan  and  some  interior  views,  and  the  Pitkin  Avenue 
bath,  opened  up  in  October,  1903,  of  which  Fig.  32  is  a  plan  and 
Fig.  33  an  interior  view.  Mr.  A.  S.  Hedman  was  the  architect 
for  both  bath  houses. 

The  Hicks  Street  bath  house  is  located  on  a  lot  35  feet  8  inches 
by  97  feet  6  inches;  it  contains  altogether  twenty-nine  showers 
for  men  and  women  on  the  ground  floor,  and  twenty-nine  showers 
on  the  second  floor  for  boys.  The  cost  was  $54,564.  The  Pitkin 
Avenue  baths  are  located  in  a  densely  settled  section  of  the  Borough, 
on  a  lot  50  feet  by  100  feet.  The  building  is  two  and  one-half 
stories  in  height,  and  cost,  exclusive  of  the  land,  $79,300.  The 
fijst  floor  contains  twenty-eight  showers  for  men  and  twenty-eight 
showers  for  women,  also  five  tub  baths  and  toilet  rooms.  The 
second  floor,  which  is  50  feet  square,  contains  thirty-eight  showers 
and  one  bathtub  for  boys,  also  some  toilets.  The  drainage  of  the 
compartments  is  by  means  of  open  gutters.  Three  similar  ad- 
ditional bath  houses,  the  construction  of  which  cost  about  $100,000 
each,  were  opened  in  1904  and  1905. 

In  February,  1902,  appeared  a  "Communication  on  a  System 
of  Municipal  Baths  for  Manhattan,  by  the  New  York  Association 
for  the  Improvement  of  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,"  from  which 
I  abstract  the  following  interesting  data: 

The  location  of  people's  baths  should  be  in  the  center  of  the 
most  densely  populated  city  districts.  The  endeavor  should  be 
to  provide  the  largest  possible  bathing  capacity  on  the  smallest 
possible  site  where  land  is  expensive.  The  materials  used  in 
the  construction  and  interior  equipment  of  the  baths  should  be 
such  as  to  permit  of  the  highest  degree  of  sanitary  cleanliness. 
The  exterior  should  be  simple,  but  reasonably  attractive  and 
permanent  in  character. 

The  report  contains  two  plans  for  baths,  the  first,  called  "Type 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


103 


A,"  being  for  a  building  on  a  lot  25  feet  by  100  feet;  the  second, 
or  "Type  B,"  being  for  a  lot  50  feet  by  100  feet. 

Type  A  provides  for  a  main  floor,  with  men's  waiting  room 
and  with  thirty  showers,  three  tubs  and  toilet-room  conveniences; 
the  second  floor,  extending  back  half  of  the  depth  of  lot,  is  in- 
tended for  women  and  children  and  contains  fifteen  showers, 
three  tubs  and  toilets.  The  basement  is  occupied  by  the  steam 
and  engine  plant.  There  are  no  living  quarters  and  no  laundry. 

Type  B  has  the  first  floor  divided  equally  between  men  and 
women,  but  the  waiting  room  for  men  is  made  larger  than  that 
for  women.  It  provides  twenty-nine  showers  and  three  tubs 
for  men,  the  same  number  for  women,  also  separate  toilet  rooms. 
The  second  floor  is  for  men  only,  and  contains  thirty-eight  showers 
and  one  tub,  besides  toilet  fixtures.  The  second  floor  can  be 
shut  off  entirely  at  seasons  when  the  patronage  is  light. 

The  lowest  estimates  obtained  for  erecting  such  bath  houses 
were:  for  Type  A,  $43,442,  and  for  Type  B,  $76,850* 

The  average  cost  of  lots  is  as  follows:  lot  25  by  100  feet,  $16,687; 
lot  50  by  100  feet,  $34,562. 

The  report  also  contains  the  following  interesting  tabulation: 


NAME  OP  BATH. 

Size  of  Lot. 

1^ 

o^£ 

I 

II 

fe-g 
j§ 

•s§ 

& 

Cost  Exclusive 
of  Land. 

Cost  per  Sq.  Ft. 

§* 

sll 

3i 

Plan  A 

25'  X  100' 

2,500 

51 

49 

$43  442 

$17.37 

$852 

Plan  B 

50'  X  100' 

5  000 

103 

485 

(estim.) 
76850 

15.37 

746 

Rivington  Street  Bath  .    .    . 
People's  Bath,  Center  Market 
Place    .    .                ... 

80'  X    81' 

27'  X    58' 

6,480 
1,566 

77 
96 

84 
60 

(estim.) 
100,000 

28,000 

15.43 

17.88 

1,300 
1,077 

Dover  Street  Bath,  Boston  . 
Philadelphia  Bath      .... 
Baltimore,  Walter  Bath  No.  1 

43'  X  110' 
40'  X    60' 

40'  X    68' 

4,730 
2,400 
2,720 

50 
44 
24 

94.6 
54.5 
113.3 

72,000 
24,153 
21,000 

15.22 
10.06 

7.72 

1,440 
549 

875  ' 

From  the  table  it  appears  that  a  bath  house  on  a  lot  50  feet 
wide  is  more  economical  in  construction  than  one  on  a  25-foot  lot. 

*  These  large  figures  are  explained  by  the  present  extraordinarily  high  prices  for 
labor  and  material. 


104 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


The  average  cost  of  annual  maintenance  is  computed  to  be  $12,975 
for  Type  A  bath,  and  $20,705  for  Type  B  bath;  hence  it  is  in 
favor  of  Type  B,  because  the  cost  of  maintenance  would  amount 
to  $254  for  Type  A,  and  to  $201  for  Type  B,  per  bath  compart- 
ment. 

In  accordance  with  the  recommendations    of   the  association 
named,  it  was  decided  by  the  city  to  erect  a  number  of  other 


PUBLIC  BATHS 

FIG.  36.    ELEVATION  OP  PROPOSED  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE. 


baths  on  city  lots  50  feet  by  100  feet.  Among  these  recent  bath 
houses  I  mention  the  41st  Street,  Allen  Street,  East  76th  Street, 
East  109th  Street  baths  and  those  in  East  llth  Street. 

The  llth  Street  baths,  shown  in  ground-floor  plan  in  Fig.  37, 
and  of  which  Fig.  38  shows  the  detail  of  the  bathing  compart- 
ments, were  completed  in  the  year  1905.  The  water  supply  and 
plumbing  in  this  bath  were  installed  according  to  specifications 


FIRST-FLOOR  PLAN 


FIG.  37.     PLAN  OF  FIRST  FLOOR  OF  ELEVENTH  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATH 
HOUSE,  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY.  105 


106 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


and  plans  by  the  writer.  This  is  the  only  bath  in  which  the 
generally  insufficient  city  water  pressure  on  the  second  floor  is 
taken  into  consideration,  and  in  which  provision  is  accordingly 


BRASS  SCREEN 


FIG.  38.    DETAILS  OF  BATH  COMPARTMENTS  IN  ELEVENTH  STREET  PEOPLE'S 
BATH  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

made  for  pressure  and  air  tanks,  supplied  from  steam  pumps 
and  air  compressors. 

A  report  (see  opposite  page),  issued  in  1906,  by  the  Bureau  of  City 
Betterment  of  the  Citizens'  Union  of  the  City  of  New  York,  of  which 
the  writer  is  a  member,  gives  the  following  interesting  data  regarding 
the  cost  of  some  Manhattan  and  Brooklyn  people's  baths: 

This  report  summarizes  the  people's  baths  question  in  the 
following  words: 

"(1)  People's  bath  houses  should  look  and  be  clean,  feel 
warm,  smell  sweet  and  be  quiet  and  orderly. 

"  (2)  Bathing  is  a  means  of  safeguarding  the  public  welfare 
by  the  prevention  of  disease  and  by  the  raising  of 
the  standard  of  personal  cleanliness  and  morality. 

"(3)  By  the  maintenance  of  free  public  baths  universal 
bathing  is  more  nearly  and  most  economically  ac- 
complished." 

In  recent  years  it  has  become  more  and  more  difficult  to  locate 
the  floating  summer  baths  along  the  river  front  of  New  York, 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


107 


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3.S.&8B; 


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II 


151 


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os  x  os  o>  os 


SO  50  05  0  05     11- 
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ISiSSBQ 


108 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


chiefly  owing  to  the  increasing  pollution  of  the  water.  It  was 
therefore  decided  to  try  the  experiment  of  combining  people's 
spray  baths  with  public  swimming  pools.  Two  recent  public 
baths  in  New  York  City  are  built  on  this  plan,  namely,  the  one 
in  West  60th  Street,  opened  in  May,  1906,  and  the  one  in  East 
23d  Street  (see  Fig.  39),  for  which  latter  the  writer  furnished  plans 


FIG.  39.    PLAN  OF  23D  STREET  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE,  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

and  specifications.  These  baths  are  expected  to  be  opened  in  the 
autumn  of  1907.  Fig.  40  shows  an  interior  view  of  the  swim- 
ming pool  in  the  Cabot  Street  people's  baths,  in  Boston. 

Some  descriptions  of  other  American  people's  baths,  like  those 
of  Yonkers,  Philadelphia,  Buffalo,  Albany,  Rochester,  Boston, 
Pittsburg  and  Chicago,  may  be  found  in  the  technical  papers, 
and  also  in  the  publications  mentioned  in  the  Bibliography. 
(See  Chapter  XVIII.) 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


109 


110  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

In  Fig.  41  I  submit  the  plan  of  a  small  one-story  people's  bath 
house,  designed  by  me  for  a  lot  30  by  60  feet  in  size,  and  con- 
taining ten  spray-bath  compartments  for  men  and  six  for  women. 
The  building  has  separate  entrances  for  men  and  women,  one 
ticket  office  located  between  the  two  vestibules,  two  separate 
waiting  rooms  each  about  15  feet  square,  with  drinking  fountains 
and  with  bench  seats.  Beyond  the  waiting  rooms  there  are  two 
corridors,  6i  feet  wide,  on  which  the  sixteen  bath  compartments 
are  located.  Provision  is  also  made  for  two  water-closets  and 
one  urinal.  Each  bath  compartment  is  4  feet  wide  and  8  feet 
deep,  and  is  divided  into  the  bath  proper,  4  feet  by  4  feet,  and  the 
dressing  room  of  same  size  as  the  bath.  The  opening  between 
is  to  be  provided  with  a  curtain  hung  from  a  curtain  rod.  Each 
bathing  compartment  contains  a  single  Gegenstrom  appa- 
ratus and  spray,  and  the  bather  turns  on  the  water  himself, 
controls  the  apparatus,  and  regulates  the  temperature  of  the 
water  by  means  of  a  hot-water  thermometer,  by  the  gradual 
opening  of  the  steam  valve  of  the  apparatus.  The  arrange- 
ment of  each  compartment  in  detail  would  be  as  shown  in  Fig. 
Each  compartment  has  a  separate  waste  pipe,  and  the  floor 
is  sunken  and  molded  in  form  of  a  basin  suitable  for  a  foot 
bath. 

Allowing  thirty  minutes  for  each  bather,  the  capacity  of  such  a 
bath  house  would  be  16  X  2  =  32  baths  per  hour,  or  32  X  12  = 
384  baths  per  day.  Allowing  each  spray  to  run  on  the  average 
ten  minutes,  and  to  discharge  2t  gallons  per  minute,  the  con- 
sumption of  water  for  each  bather  would  be  twenty-five  gallons, 
or  384  X  25  =  9,600  gallons  daily. 

Fig.  42  illustrates  a  plan  designed  by  me  suitable  for  a  larger 
people's  bath  house.  The  building  is  one  story  in  height,  and 
occupies  a  space  of  about  100  by  40  feet.  It  contains  two  entirely 
separate  departments  for  men  and  women.  The  men's  side  con- 
tains sixteen  rain  baths,  and  the  women's  side  eight  rain  baths 
and  three  tub  baths  besides  a  laundry  and  drying  room  for  the 
bath  towels.  Separate  large  waiting  rooms  with  seats  and  drink- 
ing fountain,  and  entrances  for  men  and  women,  are  provided; 


iiLLc<  I 


ELOQJtOR 

o 


FLOV"  FLOOR<T"'  f  ^ft^— ^ 

«  k  I 

2          S-COCK®  *S,ULCOCKU  V  Jfj=*w 

2  O  r^  ^li 


0  5  10  "!>  -20  EEEI 

FIG.  41.    PLAN  OF  A  SMALLER  ONE-STORY  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE. 


112 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


113 


also  room  for  steam  boiler,  for  coal  and  fuel,  for  male  and  female 
attendants  and  water-closet  accommodations. 

In  this  case  it  is  planned  that  the  baths  be  supplied  with  warm 
water  of  110°  Fahr.,  by  means  of  two  large-size  Gegenstrom  appa- 

GENERAL  PLAN 


1012345 

FIG.  43.     PLAN  OF  A  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  BERLIN,  GERMANY. 

ratus,  placed  outside  of  the  bath  department,  each  capable  of 
supplying  sixteen  sprays,  and  operated  by  a  bath  attendant  In 
order  to  prevent  waste  of  water,  each  bath  compartment  is  fitted 
up  with  an  overhead  measuring  box  of  capacity  to  suit  the  local 
requirements,  which  supplies  the  shower.  There  is  also,  in  each 
compartment,  a  cold-water  pipe  with  shut-off  with  which  the 


114        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

bather  can  temper  the  warm  water  as  desired,  or  finish  up  the 
bath  with  a  colder  spray,  as  he  may  prefer.  Each  spray  is,  in  this 
case,  operated  by  means  of  a  lever  cock  with  chain,  and  the  latter 
can  be  fastened  to  a  hook  while  bathing  so  as  to  leave  the  hands 
of  the  bather  free.  The  floors  of  dressing  room  and  bath  are 
graded  to  the  waste  outlet  provided  for  each  compartment.  The 
floors  of  corridors,  waiting  rooms  and  vestibules  should  be  tiled. 

Each  Gegenstrom  apparatus  is  furnished  at  the  outlet  for  warm 
water  with  a  manifold  and  shut-off  valves,  numbered  to  correspond 


PLAN 


FIG.  44a.    PLAN  OF  BATH  COMPARTMENT  IN  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN 
BERLIN,  GERMANY. 

with  the  number  of  each  bath  compartment.  While  the  bather 
enters  his  dressing  room,  the  bath  attendant  fills  the  measuring 
box  for  warm  water  in  his  bath  compartment,  and  then  turns  off 
the  apparatus,  the  fact  that  the  measuring  box  is  filled  being 
announced  by  an  electric  alarm  bell,  or  by  a  safety  valve  placed 
at  the  manifold. 

Allowing  thirty  minutes  for  each  bather,  this  bath  house  would 
have  a  capacity  of  16  +  8  X  2  =  48  baths  per  hour,  excluding 
the  tub  baths,  or  about  576  baths  per  day. 

A  large  number  of  interesting  examples  of  people's  baths  exist 
in  Europe,  particularly  in  Germany  and  in  Austria.  Fig.  43 
illustrates  the  floor  plan  of  one  of  the  people's  baths  located  in 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


115 


a  suburb  of  Berlin.  Figs.  44a  and  b  show  in  plan  and  section 
the  arrangement  of  the  bath  compartments  in  some  of  the  more 
recent  Berlin  people's  baths.  In  order  to  more  thoroughly  reach 
all  parts  of  the  body,  the  bath  consists  not  only  of  overhead  spray, 


10  0  10  20  30  40  50  60  70  80  90  100  2-0  m 

FIG.  44b.     SECTION  OP  BATH  COMPARTMENT  rv  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSES  IN 
BERLIN,  GERMANY. 

but  also  of  a  plain  kind  of  needle  shower,  and  there  is,  besides, 
an  ascending  douche  as  shown  at  (c)  in  the  illustration. 

The  people's  bath  houses  of  Vienna  are  described  in  an  inter- 
esting paper  by  Herr  Hermann  Beraneck,  engineer  of  the  muni- 
cipality of  Vienna,  in  charge  of  all  the  bath  houses.  This  paper 
appeared  some  years  ago  in  the  Journal  of  the  Austrian  Society 


116  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

of  Engineers  and  Architects,  from  which  I  made  the  following 
translation: 

THE  MUNICIPAL  PEOPLE'S  BATHS  OF  VIENNA  (Translated) 

The  municipality  of  the  capital  of  Austria  erected  during  the  past  twenty 
years  a  number  of  public  or  people's  bath  houses  with  spray  or  rain  baths.  These 
baths  have  been  so  well  patronized,  it  may  be  reasonably  assumed  that  they  have 
had  a  favorable  influence  in  improving  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  population, 
and  in  reducing  the  death  rate  of  the  city. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  in  the  city  of  Vienna  eleven  people's  baths,  of 
which  eight  are  located  in  the  center  of  blocks,  while  three  consist  of  buildings 
standing  detached  and  surrounded  by  public  gardens.  The  older  bath  houses 
consist  each  of  two  divisions,  one  for  men  and  one  for  women.  Experience  with 
bath  houses  so  arranged  demonstrated  the  desirability  of  providing  further  sub- 
divisions, for  adults  and  for  children,  and  seven  of  the  bath  houses  now  in  use 
have  each  four  subdivisions.  In  a  bath  house  constructed  in  1897  a  fifth  division 
was  added,  which  is  used  as  a  reserve  bath  on  days,  or  during  hours,  when  the 
baths  are  unusually  well  frequented. 

Each  of  the  divisions  consists  essentially  of  a  large  dressing-room  with  lockers, 
wherein  the  bathers  keep  their  wearing  apparel,  and  of  a  bathroom,  containing 
a  number  of  bath  compartments,  each  nearly  square  in  plan  and  dimensions,  and 
all  of  them  open  on  the  side  toward  the  corridor.  The  compartments  are  divided 
by  partitions,  6  feet  3  inches  in  height,  and  each  contains  a  douche  for  warm  or 
cold  water. 

In  the  following  two  of  the  Vienna  public  baths  will  be  described  and  illustrated 
more  in  detail,  namely,  the  oldest  one,  which  was  opened  to  the  public  on  Dec.  22, 
1887,  and  which  is  located  in  the  Mondscheiugasse,  and  the  latest  bath,  located  in 
the  Friedrich-Kaisergasse,  and  opened  on  March  6,  1897.  The  former  has  only  two 
divisions  with  a  total  of  70  sprays  and  110  lockers,  while  the  latter  has  five  divisions 
with  74  sprays  and  234  lockers.  The  total  number  of  sprays  in  the  eleven  bath 
houses  is  698,  so  that  about  20,940  bathers  can  be  accommodated  in  them  per 
day,  or  in  other  words  in  a  year  7,643,100  baths  can  be  given. 

The  problem  of  erecting  a  people's  bath  house  is  rendered  difficult  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  the  closest  economy  is  usually  required  in  the  cost  of  construction 
and  equipment,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  very  desirable  in  a  building  of  this 
kind  to  have  everything  as  durable,  substantial  and  hygienically  perfect  as  it  is 
possible  to  make  it.  The  interior  equipment,  and  the  furnishings  in  particular, 
should  be  of  such  a  character  that  they  may  not  be  damaged,  mutilated  or  spoiled 
by  the  bathers,  many  of  whom  are  inclined  to  be  careless  or  even  mischievous. 
In  the  bathrooms  everything  must  be  durable,  and  of  a  finish  which  will  with- 
stand the  influence  of  water,  vapor  and  soap.  Cleanliness  and  neatness  must 
be  maintained  without  an  undue  amount  of  labor.  Finally  the  requirements 
of  sanitation  must  be  observed,  and  the  transmission  of  contagious  diseases  must 
be  efficiently  guarded  against. 

The  first  point  of  importance  wherein  the  Vienna  people's  baths  differ  from 
those  of  Berlin,  Munich,  Breslau,  Hannover  and  other  German  cities  relates 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


117 


to  the  arrangement  of  the  bathrooms.  While  most  German  people's  baths  pro- 
vide a  number  of  separate  smaller  dressing-rooms,  to  each  of  which  a  spray  bath 
is  attached,  all  bath  houses  in  Vienna  have  a  general  large  dressing  apartment, 
and  the  bathing  stalls  are  located  in  another  room,  the  bathroom  proper.  The 
number  of  lockers  is  three  or  four  times  as  large  as  the  number  of  sprays,  because 
more  time  is  occupied  in  undressing  and  dressing  than  in  the  bath.  It  is  claimed 
that  this  arrangement  is  more  advantageous,  because  it  enables  the  giving  of  a 
greater  number  of  baths.  Experience  in  Vienna  has  also  demonstrated  the  fact 
that  it  is  more  difficult  to  keep  the  separate  dressing-rooms  clean.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  admitted  that  the  arrangement  usual  in  German  cities  affords  more 
privacy  to  the  individual,  but  it  is  stated  in  Vienna  the  public  had  become  ac- 
customed to  congregate  bathing  through  the  river  and  Russian  baths,  used  so 
extensively  before  the  introduction  of  the  rain  baths. 

Fig.  45  illustrates  the  plan  of  the  oldest  Vienna  public  bath,  which  is  located 
in  the  Mondschein-Gasse,  in  the  center  of  a  city  district  occupied  largely  by  the 


FIG.  45.    PLAN  OF  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE  IN  VIENNA,  AUSTRIA. 


laboring  classes.  This  bath  house,  being  at  the  time  when  it  was  built  an  ex- 
periment, was  arranged  in  the  basement  of  an  old  dwelling  house,  and  was  fitted 
up  with  the  utmost  simplicity.  The  divisions  for  men  and  women  are  located  in 
separate  wings,  separated  by  a  large  court;  each  division  contains  a  waiting-room, 
a  dressing-room  and  a  bathroom.  The  bathing  compartments  have  corrugated 
iron  partitions,  and  are  provided  with  a  curtain  in  front;  the  size  of  each  bath 
stall  is  2  feet  8  inches  by  3  feet  3  inches.  There  are  42  compartments  for  men, 
and  28  for  women.  The  corridors  are  S  feet  3  inches  wide.  Each  bather  is  given 
a  bathing  suit  and  one  towel ;  a  cake  of  soap  is  sold  at  cost  price ;  the  time  allowed 
to  each  bather  is  twenty  to  thirty  minutes,  and  each  shower  furnishes  a  limited 
amount  of  water. 

Figs.  46,  47  and  48  illustrate  the  cellar,  ground-floor  and  first-floor  plans  of  the 
latest  public  bath  house,  which  has  a  frontage  of  about  50  feet  and  occupies  an 
area  of  approximately  2,000  square  feet. 

The  main  entrance  to  the  bath  house,  Fig.  47,  is  subdivided  by  a  longitudinal 
partition  on  the  entrance  stairs,  so  that  those  who  enter  and  those  who  leave  the 
bath  do  not  meet.  At  B  is  a  general  waiting-room,  and  the  general  ticket  office 


118 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


FIG.  46.    CELLAR  PLAN  OF  ANOTHER 
PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE,  IN  VIENNA, 

AUSTRL/V. 


GROUND  FLOOR 

FIG.  47.  GROUND  FLOOR  PLAN  OF 
ANOTHER  PEOPLE'S  BATH  HOUSE, 
IN  VIENNA,  AUSTRIA. 


(for  men  and  women)  is  arranged  at  A.  The  bathing  master  and  his  family 
live  in  the  apartments  E.E.E.,  consisting  of  living-room,  bedroom  and  kitchen. 
In  the  rear  of  the  basement  floor  is  located  the  above  referred  to  fifth  or  emergency 
division  of  the  bath  house,  consisting  o"  dres- 
sing-room  C  and  bathroom  D,  with  eleven 
showers.  The  main  staircase  leads  to  the  divi- 
sion for  men  and  for  boys,  which  is  located  on 
the  first  floor  (Fig.  48);  the  stairs  continue  up 
to  the  second  floor  (not  illustrated),  which  con- 
tains the  divisions  for  women  and  for  girls,  and 
which  is  identical  in  arrangement  with  the  first 
floor.  On  days  when  the  bath  house  is  much 
frequented,  the  entire  first  floor  is  used  for  men, 
and  the  fifth  division  in  the  basement  is  used  for 
boys. 

The  first  floor  (Fig.  48)  is  arranged  as  fol- 
lows: 

From  the  main  staircase  the  bather  enters 
the  general  waiting-room  A,  and  the  men  go 
to  the  large  dressing-room  D,  which  is  about  33 
feet  long,  and  about  17  feet  6  inches  wide,  and 
contains  66  lockers;  adjoining  the  dressing-room 
is  a  large  bathroom  E,  about  24  feet  by  21 
feet,  with  21  compartments  and  sprays.  The 
boys'  dressing-room  is  located  at  B,  and  is  32 


FIG.  48.  FIRST  FLOOR  PLAN  OF 
ANOTHER  PEOPLE'S  BATH 
HOUSE,  IN  VIENNA,  AUSTRIA. 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS  119 


feet  by  10  feet,  and  contains  28  lockers;  adjoining  the  same  is  the  boys'  bath 
C,  with  10  compartments  and  sprays.  The  men's  bathroom  E  and  the  boys' 
bath  C  are  ordinarily  divided  by  a  partition  of  Monier  construction,  and  they 
can  be  thrown  into  one  by  opening  a  door  provided  in  this  partition. 

Each  story  is  about  13  feet  in  height.  The  attic  story  contains  two  iron  warm- 
water  tanks,  each  of  2,250  gallons  capacity,  and  one  cold-water  reservoir  of  375 
gallons ;  plenty  of  space  is  available  in  the  attic  for  the  drying  of  the  wash  on  rainy 
days.  Ordinarily  the  wash  is  hung  up  in  the  yard,  but  on  days  when  the  baths 
are  much  frequented  a  clothes-drying  apparatus,  fitted  up  in  the  cellar  at  C  (Fig. 
46),  and  heated  with  warm  air  from  a  furnace,  is  used.  The  cellar  contains  two 
large  steam  boilers  at  A,  connected  with  the  boiler  flue  G,  also  a  laundry  E,  for 
hand  washing,  bins  for  fuel  at  B.B.,  vaults  for  gas  and  water  meters  at  J  and  K, 
and  the  clothes  chutes  H  and  L.  A  gas  engine,  fitted  up  in  room  D,  serves  for 
the  pumping  of  water  from  a  well  at  F.  Well  water  is  used  whenever  the  general 
city  supply  (from  springs  in  the  Alps)  is  running  short.  The  well  is  10  feet  in 
diameter  at  the  top,  is  built  up  in  masonry  to  a  depth  of  about  163  feet,  and  from 
this  point  downwards  it  is  drilled  40  feet  more  in  depth. 

The  following  details  of  construction  are  of  interest: 

The  ceilings  are  constructed  according  to  the  Monier  system  with  arches  two 
inches  thick,  located  between  I-beams,  spaced  about  13  feet  apart.  The  surface 
of  the  arches  was  rendered  water-tight  by  asphalting.  The  floors  are  filled  with 
concrete,  about  3  inches  thick.  On  this  is  placed  the  floor  proper,  which  consists 
of  artificial  cement  pavement,  about  f  inch  thick,  roughened  on  the  surface 
to  prevent  its  becoming  slippery  from  soapy  water. 

The  shower  compartments  are  about  3  feet  square,  the  partitions  are  2£  inches 
thick,  constructed  according  to  the  Monier  system,  and  run  down  to  the  floor, 
where  all  corners  are  rounded  to  facilitate  cleaning.  The  cement  and  iron 
wire  partitions  have  proven  durable  and  have  not  required  any  repairs.  Some 
of  the  older  Vienna  bath  houses  have  partitions  of  corrugated  iron,  which  have  to 
be  painted  over  regularly  twice  a  year,  and  are  therefore  expensive  in  maintenance. 
Partitions  of  pitch  pine  wood  did  not  prove  durable  and  looked  clean  only  while 
new.  A  trial  has  also  been  made  with  a  partition  of  cast  glass,  about  £  inch  thick, 
31 J  inches  wide,  and  about  6  feet  2  inches  high,  resting  in  the  wall  and  supported 
in  front  by  an  iron  leg;  the  same  has  proved  in  every  way  sanitary,  cleanly,  durable 
and  reasonable  in  cost.  Common  glass  of  a  brown-reddish  color  was  used,  which 
is  stated  not  to  be  transparent. 

Each  compartment  contains  a  semicircular  porcelain  perforated  soap  dish 
and  an  overhead  shower.  The  showers  are  not  arranged  inclined,  as  in  the  Ger- 
man bath  houses,  but  stand  vertical  at  a  height  of  about  7  feet.  The  showers 
are  made  of  gun  metal,  and  are  four  inches  in  diameter.  The  flow  of  water  from 
the  shower  is  adjusted  by  means  of  diaphragms  or  washers.  The  shower  is 
operated  by  means  of  the  bent  lever  with  chain  and  treadle  action;  as  soon  as 
the  pressure  on  this  is  released,  the  valve  closes  with  the  water  pressure  and  the 
flow  ceases. 

Formerly  the  showers  were  operated  by  hand  pull,  but  the  new  arrangement 
is  considered  preferable  as  it  leaves  the  hands  and  arms  of  the  bather  free.  It 
is  also  found  that  the  arrangement  causes  less  water  to  be  wasted;  in  the  showers 


120         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

operated  by  hand  pull  the  average  consumption  was  25  gallons,  and  this  has  been 
reduced  about  25  per  cent. 

The  first  Vienna  bath  house,  illustrated  in  Fig.  45,  was  fitted  up  with  inclined 
showers,  operated  by  a  rod,  which  the  bather  had  to  push  up  and  down  to  open 
and  close  the  valve  controlling  the  shower.  A  large  waste  of  water  was  caused 
by  carelessness  or  forgetfulness  of  the  bathers  (as  much  as  100  gallons  being  some- 
times used  for  a  bath).  Later  on  counterweights  were  attached  to  the  rods,  but 
these  proved  to  be  very  noisy  in  action,  and  many  of  the  levers  broke  and  caused 
some  accidents  to  bathers.  Since  1890  the  new  form  of  shower,  with  stuffing 
box,  has  been  exclusively  used  and  has  proved  very  successful  in  use.  The  en- 
gineer in  charge  of  the  bath  houses  claims  that  there  is  practically  no  advantage 
in  setting  the  showers  inclined  (?). 

The  floor  of  the  bath  compartment  is  not  arranged  with  molded,  countersunk 
basin,  answering  the  purposes  of  a  foot  bath,  as  is  commonly  found  in  the  Ger- 
man public  baths.  To  secure  good  drainage  the  floor  is  merely  pitched  to  an  open 
gutter  at  the  rear  of  the  bathing  compartments,  and  the  gutters  in  turn  have  trapped 
connections  with  the  house  sewers. 

The  heating  of  the  bath  houses  is  accomplished  by  either  low-pressure  hot 
water  or  steam.  The  bathrooms  and  the  congregate  dressing-rooms  are  kept 
at  a  temperature  of  not  less  than  68  degrees  Fahr.  The  temperature  of  the  douche 
water  is  kept  at  95-98  degrees  Fahr.  in  winter,  and  at  90-95  degrees  Fahr.  in 
summer,  the  water  being  warmed  by  steam.  Owing  to  the  loss  of  heat  by  radia- 
tion the  water  in  the  warm-water  tanks  in  the  attic  is  kept  a  few  degrees  higher, 
and  this  temperature  is  registered  at  the  ticket  office  of  the  bathing  master  by 
means  of  electric  maximum  thermometers  with  alarm  bell.  The  water  in  the 
cold-water  tank  is  also  tempered  (being  at  47  degrees  Fahr.  as  it  comes  from  the 
street  main)  to  from  53-61  degrees  Fahr. 

The  ventilation  of  the  principal  rooms  is  so  arranged  as  to  effect  a  renewal 
of  the  entire  air  in  the  winter  once  every  hour.  The  radiators  stand  under  the 
window  sills,  and  openings  for  the  direct  admission  of  fresh  air  at  the  base  of  the 
radiators  are  provided.  The  foul  air  is  removed  by  registers  set  in  vent  flues, 
both  at  the  ceiling  and  near  the  floor. 

The  dimensions  of  the  lockers  in  the  dressing-rooms  are  14£  inches  in  width, 
16£  inches  in  depth,  and  5  feet  in  height.  Inside  of  each  locker  are  provided  a 
shelf  and  three  hooks;  the  bottom  forms  a  depository  for  shoes.  Each  locker  is 
provided  with  door  and  patent  lock,  and  the  door  and  key  carry  the  same  number, 
while  no  two  keys  are  alike.  The  dressing-rooms  are  fitted  up  with  a  large  mirror, 
with  comb  and  brush  hung  on  chains,  and  there  are  also  bootjacks,  shoe  buttoners, 
a  clock,  etc.  Water-closets  are  provided  on  each  floor  of  the  bath  house.  Drink- 
ing water  can  be  obtained  from  faucets,  fitted  up  with  tinned  steel  cups,  hung  on 
chains.  All  apartments  are  well  lighted  by  double  windows  with  opaque  glass 
panes. 

Some  data  regarding  the  management  and  financial  results  of  the  Vienna  people's 
baths  may  be  of  interest.  The  hours  for  bathing  are  the  same  for  all  the  divisions, 
i.e.,  for  men,  women,  boys  and  girls;  except  that  in  winter  time  the  hours  are  shorter 
than  in  summer.  On  week  days  (except  Saturday)  the  bath  houses  are  open 
from  7  to  9  A.M.  and  from  2  to  8  P.M.,  and  on  Sundays  from  6  or  7  A.M.  to  12  o'clock 


PEOPLE'S  BATHS 


121 


noon;  on  Saturdays  the  bath  is  open  from  7  to  12  A.M.  These  hours  have  been 
regulated  in  conformity  with  the  usual  modes  of  living  of  the  people  of  Vienna. 

On  entering  the  bath  house  each  person  receives,  upon  payment  of  five  kreuzer 
(two  cents),  a  stamped  and  dated  ticket  on  which  a  number  is  printed.  He  pre- 
sents the  same  to  the  bathing  master,  and  receives  a  key  for  a  locker,  one  clean 
dry  towel,  and  a  bathing  dress,  consisting  in  the  women's  department  of  a  long 
apron  to  be  hung  from  shoulder  straps,  and  of  a  short  loin  cloth  for  the  men. 

The  duration  of  the  bath  is  fixed  at  thirty  minutes,  not  including  the  time  for 
undressing  and  dressing.  The  employees  are  forbidden  to  receive  any  fees. 

Each  bath  house  is  in  charge  of  a  bathing  master,  who  must  have  practical 
experience  as  a  machinist,  and  who  must  also  be  proficient  in  rendering  first  aid 
to  the  injured.  He  attends  to  the  ticket  office,  controls  the  management  of  the 
heating  apparatus,  of  the  laundry  and  of  the  baths,  and  directs  the  bath  assistants. 
He  is  held  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of  order  and  cleanliness  in  the  bath 
house,  for  the  entire  furniture  and  the  bath  towels  and  suits.  He  has  lodgings 
in  the  building,  receives  a  monthly  salary,  and  is  permitted  to  sell  soap  cakes  at 
1  kreuzer  (f  cent  or  4  mills)  per  cake,  and  also  receives  an  annual  premium  on  the 
saving  in  expense  for  the  fuel. 

Ordinarily  two  male  and  one  female  attendants  are  sufficient,  but  during  the 
summer  there  are  often  six  to  eight  attendants. 

During  the  ten  years  from  1888-1897  these  people's  baths  have  grown  steadily 
in  popularity.  In  the  year  1896  three,  and  in  1897  four  of  the  buildings  have 
had  a  total  number  of  visitors  exceeding  100,000.  In  1897  more  than  one  million 
baths  were  given  in  the  eleven  bath  houses.  The  following  table  shows  the  steady 
growth  in  the  number  of  people  who  went  to  the  baths. 

(The  figures  in  the  table  denote  thousands.) 


NUMBER  OF  VISITORS  IN  THE  YEARS 


BATH  HOUSE 

1888 

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

I 
II 
III 

"i?" 

6 
55 

37 
64 
25 

54 
72 
46 

59 

82 
58 

62 
89 
64 

71 
93 
80 

IV 

26 

79 

92 

87 

99 

99 

102 

114 

v 

9 

60 

77 

86 

94 

106 

VI 
VII 

78 

96 

96 

92 

94 
11 

91 
60 

84 

82 

84 
96 

83 

100 

83 
111 

VIII 

7 

36 

56 

63 

64 

80 

IX 

23 

62 

69 

75 

89 

97 

107 

120 

x 

3 

64 

75 

86 

XI 

69 

Total 

78 

96 

144 

249 

342 

526 

663 

788 

841 

1,014 

From  the  table  it  appears  that  one  bath  house  (VI)  did  not  show  the  steady 
growth  in  attendance  of  all  the  others.  This  was  the  oldest  bath,  illustrated  in 
Fig.  45,  and  it  is  stated  that  the  cause  of  it  was  the  old-fashioned  plan  and  in- 
ferior arrangement  of  the  bath. 


122  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  percentage  between  male  and  female  visitors  varies  largely  according 
to  the  seasons.  In  1897,  19.7  per  cent  of  all  bathers  were  women.  The  greatest 
average  percentage  of  women  was  23.3,  the  least  15.6.  In  June,  which  was  the 
hottest  month  of  1897,  25.3  per  cent  were  women,  in  January  only  13  per  cent, 
and  in  December  only  11.5  per  cent. 

The  largest  number  of  persons  on  a  single  day  in  one  of  the  bath  houses  was 
3,332  (June  5,  1897);  the  least  number  of  persons  was  27.  The  greatest  fre- 
quency during  a  day  occurs  during  the  evening  hours. 

In  Vienna  the  people's  bath  houses  are  not  used  by  the  poor  population  only; 
one  bath  house,  for  instance,  which  is  located  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Medical 
School  of  the  Imperial  University,  is  much  frequented  by  medical  students. 

The  cost  of  a  single  bath  averages  about  5.5  kreuzer  (2  cents),  or  more  than 
the  price  of  admission  charged.  This,  however,  was  expected,  and  the  deficiency 
is  cheerfully  borne  by  the  municipality,  inasmuch  as  the  people's  baths  are  in- 
tended to  be  a  salutary  public  measure. 

The  cost  of  erection  of  a  bath  house  averaged  about  $25,500,  or  $350  dollars 
for  each  bath  compartment. 


CHAPTER  IX 

FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS 

EVERY  large  manufacturer  who  is  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
his  employees  should  consider  the  question  of  providing  at  the 
factory  free  baths  for  workmen.  Many  working  people,  living 
in  tenements,  have  at  present  no  facilities  at  home  for  keeping  the 
body  clean.  Factory  employees  are  particularly  exposed  to  soil- 
ing and  defilement  of  the  skin  through  the  nature  of  their  occu- 
pations. They  usually  perspire  very  freely  while  at  work,  and 
the  increased  action  of  the  skin,  combined  with  the  dirt  and  dust 
of  their  surroundings,  makes  it  particularly  desirable  that  they 
should  take  a  bath  frequently  to  become  clean,  to  keep  in  good 
health,  and  so  as  to  be  in  the  best  possible  condition  for  the  hard 
manual  labor  performed  by  them  in  the  factory.  It  would  seem 
to  me  that  manufacturers  would  secure  higher  results  in  the  work 
performed  by  their  operatives  if  they  provide  plain  and  inexpen- 
sive facilities  for  frequent  bodily  ablutions. 

Neither  bathtubs  nor  swimming  tanks  are  well  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  the  workingmen  in  factories.  A  dusty  or  dirty  laborer, 
a  factory  operative  manipulating  or  handling  animal  or  vegetable 
matters,  paints,  dyestuffs  or  chemicals,  and  the  engineer  and 
the  firemen  who  spend  the  day  in  the  hot  engine  or  boiler  room, 
stoking  the  fires,  shoveling  coal  and  oiling  the  engine  and  other 
machinery,  would  soon,  were  they  to  take  a  bath  in  a  tub,  sit 
immersed  in  a  dirty  fluid,  and  cleanliness  would  under  such  cir- 
cumstances be  difficult  to  attain.  For  factories  and  industrial 
establishments  the  tepid  spray  of  the  rain  bath  offers  immense 
advantages.  These  are  so  plain  and  apparent  that  it  seems  unnec- 
essary to  waste  any  words  about  them,  except  to  point  out  that, 
inasmuch  as  waste  or  exhaust  steam  is  always  available  in  such 
establishments,  the  heating  of  the  water  for  bath  purposes  can  be 

123 


124 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


cheaply  and  quickly  effected.  The  expense  of  providing  and 
maintaining  plain  tepid  rain  baths  for  workmen  in  factories  can- 
not therefore  be  very  considerable,  and  among  the  movements  for 


ENTRANCE  TO  BATH 
SCALE 


FIG.  49.    PLAN  FOR  A  PROPOSED  FACTORY  BATH  HOUSE. 

industrial  betterment  of  the  workmen  the  establishment  of  work- 

ingmen's  baths  is  calculated  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  blessings. 

In  Fig.  49  I  show  the  plan  for  a  small  bath  house,  adapted  to 

the   requirements    and    needs    of    manufacturing    and    industrial 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  125 

establishments.  It  contains  a  general  waiting  room  and  a  bath- 
room with  ten  bath  units.  The  capacity  of  such  a  bath  house 
would  be  from  twenty  to  thirty  baths  per  hour. 

Some  years  ago  a  conference  was  held  in  Berlin,  Germany, 
regarding  means  and  ways  for  the  improvement  of  the  condition 
of  the  laboring  men.  At  this  conference  a  paper  was  read  by 
Herr  Baurat  Herzberg,  in  which  he  discussed  the  arrangement 
and  fitting  up  of  "  Workingmen's  Baths  in  Industrial  and  Manu- 
facturing Establishments." 

Although  this  paper  had  chiefly  reference  to  the  conditions  pre- 
vailing in  Germany,  it  contained  a  great  deal  of  valuable  informa- 
tion regarding  the  details  of  the  planning  and  fitting  up  of  such 
baths.  The  following  abstract  from  the  paper  *  will,  no  doubt, 
prove  of  interest  to  those  concerned  with  the  welfare  of  the  labor- 
ing classes,  and  also  in  particular  to  architects,  engineers  and 
builders,  who  have  sometimes  to  do  with  the  planning  and  arrange- 
ment of  such  baths. 

To  begin  with,  Herr  Herzberg,  who  is  a  constructing  and  sani- 
tary engineer  of  great  ability,  and  whose  firm  has  carried  out  many 
plans  for  the  installment  of  public  baths,  and  of  baths  in  military 
barracks  and  working  establishments,  points  out  the  difference, 
from  a  constructive  point  of  view,  which  exists  between  people's 
baths,  baths  for  workingmen  and  such  for  military  barracks. 

"Ali  people's  bath  houses  must  be  kept  running  the  whole  day, 
and  the  visitors  distribute  themselves  over  the  entire  time  during 
which  the  bath  is  kept  open.  But  even  in  people's  baths  there  is 
at  times,  and  during  special  hours,  a  much  larger  frequency, 
particularly  so  just  before  holidays  and  generally  on  Saturdays. 
The  dimensions  of  the  baths,  the  means  for  heating  the  water 
and  the  size  of  the  main  water  supply-pipe  are  governed  thereby. 

"In  baths  for  military  barracks,  armories,  etc.,  everything  is 
regulated  strictly  according  to  military  rule  and  discipline,  and 
bathing  is  done  in  squads  who  are  usually  commanded  to  undress, 
to  walk  under  the  shower,  and  again  to  dress. 

"Of  course,  anything  like  such  a  system  would  be  out  of  the 
*  Translated  by  W.  P.  G. 


126        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

question  in  a  bath  for  workingmen.  Some  sanitarians  have  laid 
down  the  requirement  that  baths  in  factories  and  manufacturing 
establishments  should  be  ready  at  all  times  of  the  day,  but  this  is 
obviously  out  of  the  question,  because  the  expense  of  maintenance 
would  be  too  large,  and  if  such  requirements  were  insisted  upon, 
the  owners  of  many  industrial  establishments  would  necessarily 
be  deterred  from  installing  baths  for  their  workingmen.  While  it 
would  be  a  mistake  to  limit  the  bathing  time  to  a  few  hours  after 
the  closing  of  the  workshops,  it  is,  on  the  other  hand,  necessary 
to  regulate  the  baths  according  to  a  limited  time  schedule." 

Regarding  river  baths  for  bathing  in  summer  time,  Herr  Herz- 
berg  mentions  the  fact  that  many  factories,  located  along  the 
shore  of  a  river  or  lake,  could  with  advantage  arrange  such  baths 
for  their  workingmen  and  that  the  same  could  be  erected  very 
cheaply. 

Regarding  artificially  constructed  swimming  tanks  for  working- 
men,  the  author  holds  the  opinion  that  these,  too,  should  not  be 
entirely  discountenanced.  "The  almost  universally  entertained 
objection  against  swimming  baths  arises  from  the  well-known 
fact  that  many  of  them  are  not  properly  kept  clean.  If  they  were 
so  planned  and  arranged  as  to  provide  for  a  sufficient  change  of 
water  in  the  tank,  even  sanitarians  could  not  well  object  to  them. 
It  is,  nevertheless,  true  that  many  of  the  modern  swimming  baths 
in  public  bath  houses  are  objectionable,  because  upon  close  inspec- 
tion it  will  be  found  that  the  water  which  flows  in  a  cascade  into 
the  basin,  and  thereby  gives  the  impression  as  if  it  were  clean, 
fresh  water,  is  in  reality  simply  the  water  which  has  been  removed 
from  the  tank  by  either  suction  pumps  or  by  a  circulation  pipe, 
and  which  is  returned  to  the  bath  again  and  again. 

"  When  all  sanitary  requirements  are  fulfilled,  swimming  baths 
are  certainly  unobjectionable.  It  is  important  that  the  entire 
basin  should  be  emptied  once  every  twenty-four  hours  and  then 
cleaned,  and  that  there  should  be  a  fresh  supply  o£  water  amount- 
ing to  528.4  gallons  (2  cubic  meters)  daily  for  each  bather. 

Details  of  Workingmen's  Swimming  Baths  —  "Take,  for  ex- 
ample, a  swimming  tank  of  42  feet  8  inches  by  29  feet  6  inches  in 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  127 

area;  this  would  contain  about  52,840  gallons  of  water,  and  if  the 
water  is  renewed  once  in  twenty-four  hours,  100  persons  could  bathe 
in  it.  The  cost  for  pumping  the  water  for  the  tank  would  amount 
to  from  about  one-fourth  to  one  cent  per  264.2  gallons,  and  some- 
times even  less.  Such  a  swimming  bath  would,  therefore,  require 
an  expenditure  of  from  one-half  to  two  dollars  each  day  for  the 
water  supply.  The  required  heating  of  the  water  would  cost 
much  more  than  this.  Assuming  that  the  water  is  pumped  from 
a  well  and  that  its  temperature  is  about  53.6°  Fahr.  and  that  it 
must  be  warmed  to  72°,  this  would  require  for  the  warming  of 
52,840  gallons  daily  about  two  million  heat  units.  To  generate 
these  about  1,323  pounds  of  coal  will  have  to  be  burned,  though 
a  slight  reduction  in  the  amount  would  take  place  where  exhaust 
steam  is  available.  The  above  swimming  tank  would,  therefore, 
require  an  expenditure  of  from  one  and  one-half  to  three  dollars 
for  heating  the  water.  It  would  provide  baths  for  600  working- 
men  for  a  week,  at  two  to  five  cents  per  person  per  week,  which 
would  mean  that  the  cost  for  the  bath  of  each  person  would  amount 
to  one-third  to  five-sixths  cent  per  day.  The  surface  of  the 
water  tank  would  comprise  1,259  square  feet,  and  if  we  add  to 
this  the  necessary  space  for  dressing-rooms,  this  makes  a  total 
floor  space  of  approximately  2,153  square  feet,  which  is  more 
than  spray  baths  of  the  same  capacity  would  require.  Only 
one-half  of  this  space  would  be  required  if  a  number  of  bathtubs 
were  installed  to  give  the  same  number  of  baths." 

The  author  recommends  that  the  sides  of  the  tank  should 
not  be  finished  with  cement,  because  this  becomes  rough  at  times, 
does  not  adhere  to  the  walls,  and  is  hard  to  clean.  "The  best 
finish,"  he  says,  "consists  in  glazed  tiling  or  else  plates  of  ham- 
mered glass  with  a  light  background." 

"The  size  of  the  waste  and  supply  pipes  must  be  made  very 
ample  in  order  to  fill  and  empty  the  swimming  bath  quickly. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  with  a  fall  of  1  in  100  a  waste  pipe, 
12  inches  in  diameter,  is  required  to  accomplish  the  emptying 
quickly.  The  diameter  of  the  supply  pipe  depends  upon  the 
available  water  pressure." 


128  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

"  On  the  whole,  the  running  expenses  for  the  maintenance 
of  a  swimming  bath  are  considerable,  and  in  connection  herewith 
it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  the  swimming  baths  always  require, 
in  addition,  some  form  of  preliminary  cleansing  bath,  either  a 
douche  or  a  tub  bath,  both  of  which  increase  the  cost  correspond- 
ingly. 

Workingmens  Tub  Baths  —  "A  few  tub  baths  are  always 
desirable  in  connection  with  spray  baths,  particularly  in  manu- 
facturing establishments,  for  the  female  employees.  The  usual 
allowance  of  space  is  four  square  meters  (43  square  feet)  for  each 
bathtub  compartment,  not  including  the  space  required  for  the 
corridors.  Tub  baths  do  not  render  as  effective  a  service  as 
spray  baths,  particularly  when  the  proportion  of  space  occupied 
by  them  is  considered,  for  not  more  than  two  baths  can  be  given 
per  hour  with  one  tub." 

The  author  points  out  a  few  minor  matters  pertaining  to  con- 
structional details,  which  appear  to  him  of  importance. 

"First,  the  tub  should  never  be  fastened  permanently,  either 
with  the  wall  or  with  the  floor,  and  consequently  neither  with 
the  supply  nor  with  the  waste  pipe,  because  it  is  a  matter  of  common 
experience  that  a  great  deal  of  dirt  accumulates  behind  the  tub. 
This  dirt  is  hard  to  remove  and  is  the  usual  cause  for  the  moldy 
or  musty  odors  attaching  to  bathrooms.  The  bathtubs  must 
be  so  placed  that  the  outlet  comes  directly  over  the  waste  in  the 
floor,  and  the  latter  is  best  arranged  so  as  to  provide  for  the 
removal  of  the  water  from  the  floor  in  the  room.  With  a  proper 
size  and  inclination  of  the  waste  pipe,  no  overflow  need  be  feared 
when  the  waste  valve  or  plug  of  the  bathtub  is  opened  to  discharge 
the  same." 

"The  supply  to  the  tubs  should  always  take  place  over  the 
top  or  near  the  same.  The  objection  made  that  this  creates 
too  much  vapor  of  steam  is  only  valid  when  the  hot  water  is 
heated  too  near  the  boiling  point,  which  the  author  does  not 
consider  good  practice.  He  favors,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  bath 
water  should  be  heated  only  to  the  exact  temperature  at  which 
it  is  required  in  the  tubs,  and  in  this  case  no  steam  vapor  would 


FACTORY  AND  WORKWOMEN'S  BATHS 


129 


form,  as  happens  when  warm  water  of  158°  to  176°  Fahr.  is  dis- 
charged into  cold  water. 

Showers  or  Sprays  in  Connection  with  Tubs  — "  As  a  rule, 
there  should  be  a  shower-head  fitted  up  over  each  tub;  it  is  a  great 
convenience  and  /////////////////////////////////^//////////^^^^  /, / 

costs  but  little.  It 
must,  howTever,  be 
arranged  so  that  it 
will  give  water  at  any 
desired  tempera- 
ture." 

The  author  is  not 
in  favor  of  the  ordi- 
nary arrangements  of 
mixing  valves  for  hot 
and  cold  wrater,  be- 


FIG. 50.    DETAIL  OP  MIXING  DOUCHE  FOR 
WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS. 


COLD  WATER 


cause  they  are  usu- 
ally quite  complicated,  require  frequent  repairs,  and  because  they 
do  not  mix  the  water  properly,  largely  because  the  water  pressure 

in  the  hot  and  cold  water 
pipes  varies  with  the  change- 
able draft  on  these  pipes. 
Showers  supplied  from  mix- 
ing valves  often  give  a  warm 
and  cold  spray  alternately, 
according  to  the  number  of 
other  faucets  open  on  the 
line. 

The  author  suggests  that 
a  much  surer  way  to  mix 
water  of  different  tempera- 
tures is  to  bring  them  together  at  a  point  where  the  water  has 
lost  its  head  of  pressure,  in  other  words,  in  the  shower  itself. 
This  can  be  easily  accomplished,  either  according  to  Fig.  50  by 
means  of  separate  cold  and  warm  water  pipes  carried  parallel  to 
each  other  into  the  head  of  the  shower,  or  else  according  to  Fig.  51, 


FIG.  51.    DETAIL  OF  MIXING  DOUCHE 
FOR  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS. 


130 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


by  carrying  the  cold-water  pipe  inside  of  the  hot-water  pipe.  In 
this  case  two  simple  compression  valves  or  stops  are  arranged 
on  the  hot  and  cold  supply,  and  by  opening  these  valves  any 
desired  temperature  of  the  spray  water  may  be  attained  with 
absolute  accuracy. 

Warming  the  Water  for  Tub  and  Spray  Baths  —  The  author 
lays  particular  stress  upon  the  desirability  of  keeping  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water  in  hot-water  tanks  not  higher  than  96°  to 
100°  Fahr.,  and  obtaining  the  desired  temperature  of  the  bath 
water  in  tubs  and  showers  by  adding  a  small  amount  of  cold 
water.  One  advantage,  he  says,  is  that  this  does  away  with 
the  danger  of  scalding.  It  is  an  error  to  assume,  as  is  often  the 
case,  that  this  principle,  advocated  by  the  author  and  used  by 
him  in  all  the  tub  and  spray  baths  installed  by  him,  requires 
more  fuel  for  warming  the  water. 

In  order  to  regulate  and  control  the  temperature  of  the  water 
in  the  hot-water  tank  the  author  provides  a  simple  arrangement, 

as  illustrated  in  Fig.  52, 
consisting  of  a  draw-off 
cock  A,  a  hot- water 
thermometer  B,  and  a 
short  pipe  connecting 
them  with  the  tank. 
By  leaving  the  water 
run  for  a  short  while 
the  temperature  of  the 
tank  water  will  be  indi- 
cated nearly  correctly  at 
the  thermometer.  It  is, 
of  course,  necessary  to 
provide  a  much  larger 
hot-water  tank  where  the 


WARM  WATER  TANK 


FIG.  52.    SKETCH   SHOWING   METHOD   OF   DE- 
TERMINING TEMPERATURE  OF  THE  HOT  WATER. 


water  is  only  moderately  warmed.  On  the  other  hand,  the  size  of 
the  cold-water  tank  becomes  much  less,  assuming  that  cold  water 
is  also  supplied  under  tank  pressure.  Other  advantages  incident 
to  the  arrangement  are  that  the  hot- water  pipe  lines  do  not 


FACTORY  AND  WORKWOMEN'S  BATHS  131 


become  very  hot,  that  there  is  no  radiation  of  heat  from  them, 
that  there  is  less  expansion  of  the  pipes,  a  greater  durability  of 
the  piping,  faucets  and  valves,  a  simplification  in  the  manage- 
ment, and  an  exclusion  of  all  danger  from  scalding. 

Bath  Compartments  for  Workingmen  —  "  The  capacity  of  the 
bath  house  depends  greatly  upon  the  size  of  the  supply  and 
waste  pipes  to  the  tubs.  If,  for  example,  there  are  fifty  tubs, 
and  it  is  desired  to  fill  and  empty  ten  of  these  simultaneously  in 
three  minutes,  the  size  of  waste  pipe  should  be  from  4  to  7  inches. 
Mistakes  are  often  made  with  regard  to  this  point,  resulting  in 
a  reduction  of  the  capacity  of  the  establishment. 

"The  partitions  should  be  raised  from  the  floor  about  6  inches, 
as  this  increases  the  circulation  of  air,  and  facilitates  cleanli- 
ness, because  the  whole  floor  can  be  easily  flushed  and  scrubbed. 
The  partition  should  rest  on  brass  legs,  for  iron  legs  cause  rust 
stains.  Slate,  or  else  a  cheap  quality  of  marble,  is  well  adapted 
for  a  material  for  partitions.  Brick  partitions,  about  2f  inches 
thick  and  finished  in  cement,  are  also  suitable.  Galvanized 
corrugated  iron  rusts  in  time  and  is  not  to  be  recommended. 
It  is  also  difficult  to  fasten  the  pipes  and  valves  to  corrugated 
iron  partitions,  and  each  screw  or  bolt  hole  will  in  time  cause 
the  rusting  of  the  iron. 

Floors —  "The  floor  should  be  of  a  material  which  is  a  good 
non-conductor  of  heat,  so  that  the  bather's  feet  may  not  be  chilled. 
Durability  is  a  chief  requirement.  Wooden  lattice  floors  are  not 
desirable,  as  they  gather  and  retain  dirt.  Lattice  floors  of  hard 
rubbe'r  have  been  tried  by  the  author,  but  found  to  be  too  ex- 
pensive. 

"An  asphalt  floor  is,  on  the  whole,  the  best;  it  is  warm  to  the 
feet,  and  when  carefully  laid  does  not  crack.  The  floor  of  the 
bath  compartment  should  be  somewhat  lower  than  the  floor  level 
of  the  corridor,  so  that  this  may  not  become  wet.  (Fig.  53.) " 

Wooden  footstools  are  convenient  for  placing  the  feet  upon 
in  dressing  and  undressing. 

Tubs  for  Workmen  —  "As  regards  the  best  materials  for  tubs 
in  bath  houses,  it  should  be  said  that  tubs  of  wood  should  be 


132 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


permitted  only  for  mineral  water  and  certain  medical  baths. 
Tubs  of  porcelain  and  of  glass  are  expensive,  absorb  a  great  deal 
of  heat  from  the  warm  water,  and  are  easily  damaged.  Tinned 
solid  copper  tubs  are  quite  expensive.  Masonry  tubs,  finished 
with  cement,  are  liable  to  have  cracks,  and  require,  like  the  glazed 
fire-clay  tubs,  a  great  deal  of  hot  water. 

"In  the  Berlin  Asylum  for  Homeless  the  author  made  use  of 
tubs  constructed  of  'terrazzo,'  which  have  lasted  well  with  two 


BATH  APARTMENT 


BATH  TUB 


PASSAGE  WAY 


FLOOR  LEVEL 


FIG.  53.    SECTION  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  FLOOR  LEVELS  FOR  WORKING- 
MEN'S  BATH  HOUSE. 

years'  continuous  use,  largely  because  the  hot-water  supply  is 
arranged  in  accordance  with  the  above  outlined  principle,  i.e., 
of  furnishing  moderately  warm  instead  of  hot  water.  These 
tubs  would  not  last  well  with  hot  water.  A  well-enameled  iron 
tub  is  readily  cleaned,  and  although  it  costs  twice  as  much  as  a 
zinc  tub,  its  durability  is  at  least  twice  as  great.  Should  the 
enamel  chip,  the  defect  may  be  covered  up  by  white  enamel  paint. 
Spray  Baths  for  Workman  — "The  spray  bath  is  the  form 
of  bath  particularly  adapted  to  manufacturing  establishments: 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS 


133 


first,  because  its  efficiency  in  proportion  to  the  first  cost  and 
the  running  expenses  of  the  bath  is  greater;  and,  second,  because 
a  shower  or  spray,  with  jets  which  are  not  too  fine  and  prickly, 
has  a  good  effect  upon  the  action  of  the  skin.  The  rain  bath 
was  used  first  by  Dr.  Muennich,  Chief  Surgeon  in  the  Prussian 
Army,  and  Prof.  Oscar  Lassar  has  done  much  to  awaken  interest 
in  this  form  of  bath. 

"At  first  the  showers  delivered  the  water  vertically  downward 
over  the  head,  neck  and  shoulders;  subsequently  they  were  placed 


DOU 

:HES 

0 

0 

o 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

DOUC 

HES 

I    I  °r!!!rITl I 


FIG.  54.    PLAN  SHOWING  DETACHED  ARRANGEMENT  OF  SHOWER  COMPART- 
MENTS AND  DRESSING  ROOMS  FOR  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS. 

inclined  to  prevent  the  water  from  striking  the  head,  and  to  direct 
it  more  against  the  chest  and  the  back.  A  'rain'  bath  may  be 
taken  in  one  and  one-half  minutes,  with  only  from  eight  to  thir- 
teen gallons  of  water,  which  indicates  the  immense  saving  in  time 
and  in  cost. 

Arrangements  and  Plans  of  Spray  Baths  —  "In  soldiers'  baths 
and  also  in  school  baths  the  plan  is  usually  very  simple,  as  divid- 
ing partitions  may  be  entirely  omitted.  Such  arrangement, 
however,  does  not  seem  suitable  for  factory  baths,  as  it  lacks 
privacy.  In  Figs.  54  and  55  are  shown  two  types  of  plans,  in 


134 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


both  of  which  the  bath  compartments   and  the  dressing  rooms 
are  separated  from  each  other.     In  this   case   it  is  advisable  to 

provide  about  three  or 
four  times  as  many 
dressing-rooms  as 
there  are  bath  com- 
partments, because  the 
dressing  and  undress- 
ing require  three  to 
four  times  the  time 
needed  for  bathing. 

"Fig.    56    shows   a 
type  of   plan  wherein 
each     bath    compart- 
ment has  its  separate 
dressing-room,  the  two 
being  located  together. 
This  form  of  plan, 
FIG.  55.     PLAN    SHOWING  DETACHED    ARRANGE-    however,    reduces    the 
MENT  OF  SHOWER  COMPARTMENTS  AND  DRESSING    canacitv   of    the    bath 

house  to  one-third  as 
compared  with  the 
type  shown  in  Figs.  54  and  55.  Therefore  it  is  not  likely  that 
it  will  be  adopted  in  industrial 
establishments  which  have  a 
large  number  of  operatives; 
moreover  the  general  superin- 
tendence is  more  difficult. 

"It  is  not  to  be  recommended 
to  combine  two  or  more  dress- 
ing-rooms with  one  bath  com- 
partment, as  this  might  lead  to 
disturbances  and  would  increase 
the  difficulty  of  management.  PIG.  56.  PLAN  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT 
T  •  •  j-  .  •  .  .1  j  •  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS,  WHERE 

In  mining  districts  the  dressing-        „  ^ 

6  DRESSING  ROOM  AND  SHOWER  COM- 

rooms  may  also    be   utilized  as         PARTMENTS  ARE  COMBINED. 


ROOMS  IN  AN  OCTAGONAL  BATH   PAVILION   FOR 
WORKINGMEN. 


• 
• 

!•                    BH 

DR 

MB 

••         •• 
SSING  RO 

«••• 

•              • 

MS 

•• 

mmm 

o    [ 

OUCHE 

o 

o 

O 

o 

mum 

7  . 

C—  'NG  RO 
•• 

MS 

•i         • 

E^K 

FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  135 

lockers  for  the  workingmen's  suits.  In  baths  for  coal  miners 
single  bath  compartments  are  not  advisable,  as  it  becomes  neces- 
sary, owing  to  the  coal  dust,  that  the  bathers  assist  each  other 
in  cleaning  their  backs. 

Water  Supply  for  Spray  Baths  —  "In  the  case  of  spray  baths 
it  was  feared  at  first  that  if  water  was  available  in  unlimited 
quantity  for  each  bather  this  would  lead  to  a  large  consumption 
and  waste  of  water,  and  appliances  were  accordingly  devised 
which  limited  the  amount  of  warm  water  for  each  bather.  Such 
arrangements  have  now  been  abandoned,  for  experience  has 
taught  that  no  unusual  waste  of  water  occurred.  The  increase 
amounted  to  only  a  few  gallons,  viz.,  from  8  or  9j  to  10|  or  13^. 

"It  is  desirable  to  introduce  cold  water  to  the  shower,  in  order 
to  afford  the  bather  an  opportunity  to  finish  up  the  bath  with  a 
cold  spray.  This,  as  is  well  known,  protects  the  bather  from 
catching  cold. 

"It  is  likewise  important  that  the  feet  of  the  bather  should 
stand  in  tepid  water  while  the  shower  is  running.  This  affords 
an  excellent  opportunity  for  washing  the  feet.  It  is  usual  to 
provide  a  small  seat,  fastened  against  the  wall. 

Details  of  the  Shower-Head  —  "  It  is  very  important  that  the 
showers  and  their  controlling  valves  should  be  constructed 
simple  and  durable,  as  they  otherwise  wear  out  quickly  from 
much  use. 

"Years  of  observation  and  experience  have  taught  the  author 
that  the  'rain'  bath  is  very  refreshing  and  acts  as  a  tonic,  but  that 
in  one  respect  it  is  inferior  to  the  tub  bath  in  point  of  cleansing 
the  body.  With  a  vertical  or  inclined  overhead  spray  the  lower 
parts  of  the  body  do  not  receive  sufficient  water. 

"For  some  time  the  author  has  therefore  arranged  the  'rain' 
bath  with  an  ascending  spray  or  jet  (a),  Fig.  57,  the  valve  H  of 
which  is  controlled  by  the  bather.  Instead  of  a  spray,  a  simple 
bent  pipe  with  a  number  of  holes  answers  the  purpose  equally 
well,  as  shown  on  the  right-hand  side  in  the  same  illustration. 
This  arrangement  facilitates  the  washing  of  the  lower  part  of 
the  body. 


136 


MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


Size  of  the  Jets  of  the  Spray  —  "  With  regard  to  the  size  and 
strength  of  the  water  jets  of  sprays,  the  author  calls  attention 
to  the  well-known  fact  that  many  bathers  cannot  endure  the 
water  falling  from  a  shower  with  very  fine  and  sharp  jets.  The 
spray  baths  are  called  'rain'  baths  just  because  the  water  is  sup- 
posed to  fall  on  the  body  'like  a  gentle  rain  shower.'  Some  have 
attempted  to  accomplish  this  object  by  setting  the  spray  at  a 
height  not  exceeding  7  feet  6  inches  from  the  floor.  But  even 


DESCENDING 
DOUCHE- 


FIG.  57.    DETAILS  OF  SPRAY  BATHS.  SHOWING  DESCENDING  AND 
ASCENDING  SPRAYS. 

then  the  jets  may  become  too  powerful  if  the  reservoir  from  which 
the  spray  is  supplied  is  placed  very  high  above  the  douche.  The 
holes  in  the  face  of  the  spray  should  be  about  0.07874  or  •$% 
inch  in  diameter.  Smaller  holes  cause  the  jets  to  be  too  sharp." 


The  photographic  illustrations  (Figs.  58-66)  in  this  chapter 
show  views  of  a  few  spray  baths  installed  in  modern  large  American 
manufacturing  plants.  The  tendency  of  thus  providing  for  the 
maintenance  of  health  and  cleanliness  of  the  operatives  seems  to 
be  spreading  rapidly,  and  I  have  selected  only  a  few  out  of  many 
examples. 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS 


137 


From  a  pamphlet  on  "The  Social  Economics  of  the  Weston 
Electrical  Instrument  Company  of  Newark,"  prepared  for  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at  the  request  of  the  Bureau  of 
Statistics  of  Labor  and  Industries  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  I 
take  the  following  description  and  illustrations  of  the  swimming 
pool,  the  shower  baths  and  the  lavatories  provided  for  the  em- 
ployees of  the  firm: 

"Connecting  with  the  dressing-room  is  the  lavatory,  a  room 
40  feet  by  75  feet  with  a  ceiling  16  feet  high  (see  Fig.  58),  lighted 


FIG.  58.    VIEW  OF  WORKMEN'S  LAVATORIES  IN  WESTERN  ELECTRIC  MACHINE 
WORKS,  NEWARK,  N.  J. 

and  ventilated  by  many  windows,  and  with  an  individual  porce- 
lain wash  basin,  individual  soap,  and  individual  locker  for  each 
man.  The  plumbing  and  all  appurtenances  of  this  department 
are  of  the  highest  quality  and  best  style,  the  prevailing  idea  being 
to  create  perfect  sanitary  conditions.  The  toilets  are  in  every 
respect  of  equal  grade  with  the  lavatories.  Drinking  water  of 
excellent  quality  and  temperature  is  supplied  by  the  company's 
artesian  well,  and  is  distributed  throughout  the  works  by  auto- 
matic jet  fountains,  thus  doing  away  with  cups  or  glasses. 

"  Directly  under  the  dining  hall  is  the  natatorium,  a  hall  160  feet 


138 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


by  35  feet,  with  a  20-foot  ceiling,  light,  bright  and  cheerful.     This 
bath  is  a  splendid  affair.     The  tank  is  cemented  and  lined  with 


PIG.  59.    VIEW  OF  PLUNGE  BATH  FOR  EMPLOYEES  IN  WESTERN  ELECTRIC 
MACHINE  WORKS,  NEWARK,  N.J. 


FIG.  60.    VIEW  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  FOR  EMPLOYEES  IN  WESTERN  ELECTRIC 
MACHINE  WORKS,  NEWARK,  N.J. 

enameled  brick,  is  150  feet  long,  18  feet  wide  and  from  4^  to  9  feet 
deep.     (See  Fig.  59.)     The  flooring  is  a  handsome  white  mosaic 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS 


139 


tiling  tastefully  bordered  in  colors.  At  one  side  the  floor  is  raised  by 
marble  steps,  and  here  are  located  the  shower  baths.  (See  Fig.  60.) 
There  are  batteries  of  shower  and  needle  and  also  tub  baths,  six 
of  each.  The  entire  water  for  the  baths  is  filtered.  Here,  as  in 
the  lavatories,  the  plumbing  is  fine  in  quality  and  pleasing  in  style. 


FIG.  61.    VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  IN  WORKS  OF  BROWN  AND  SHARPE 
MFG.  Co.,  PROVIDENCE,  R.I. 

All  bathers  are  required  to  take  the  showers  before  going  into  the 
plunge." 

The  illustrations,  Figs.  61  and  62,  kindly  furnished  me  by  the 
Brown  &  Sharpe  Mfg.  Co.,  of  Providence,  R.I.,  show  the  bath- 
room facilities  and  the  lavatory  conveniences  provided  by  this 
firm  for  their  numerous  employees. 

Fig.  63,  which  was  courteously  sent  to  me  by  the  manager  of 
the  Westinghouse  Machine  Company,  of  East  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
shows  the  enameled  iron  wash  sinks  with  hot  and  cold  water, 
which  are  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  their  workmen. 


140  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


FIG.  62.    VIEW  OF  WASHROOM  WITH  SINKS  IN  WORKS  OF  BROWN  AND  SHARPE 
MFG.  Co.,  PROVIDENCE,  R.I. 


FIG.  63.    VIEW  OF  WORKMEN'S  LAVATORIES  IN  WORKS  OF  WESTINGHOTJSE 
MACHINE  Co.,  EAST  PITTSBURGH,  PA. 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  141 

Some  years  ago  appeared  an  article  in  "The  Metalworker," 
describing  the 

BATHING  AND  WASHING  FACILITIES  IN  A  BROOKLYN  FACTORY. 

Increased  attention  is  being  paid  to  the  proper  heating,  lighting  and  ventila- 
tion of  workshops  and  factories;  employers  recognizing  that  improved  conditions 
in  these  matters,  while  ministering  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  their  work-people, 
tend  also  to  their  own  advantage  in  inducing  better  work  and  more  of  it.  This 
is  all  matter  for  congratulation,  and  very  satisfactory  so  far  as  it  goes.  But  there 
seems  to  be  something  yet  to  be  learned  in  respect  to  the  provision  of  better  washing 
and  other  sanitary  facilities,  for,  as  a  general  rule,  such  provision  falls  far  short 
of  what  it  might  be. 

Baths  are  rarely  found  in  American  factories,  nor  any  facilities  for  washing 
out  soiled  clothes.  Yet  the  advantages  that  might  be  gained,  both  by  employers 
and  employed,  in  the  provision  of  such  comforts  are  worth  consideration.  While 
improving  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  men,  the  refreshment  of  bathing  and 
enjoyment  of  clean  clothes  would  undoubtedly  give  them  a  greater  capacity  and 
energy  for  their  work;  body  and  mind  alike  would  be  refreshed,  and  the  refresh- 
ment would  react  upon  their  laboring  qualities. 

In  Germany,  as  we  understand,  a  system  of  baths  and  wash  places  has  been 
adopted  with  much  success  in  several  factories,  similar  to  that  in  use  in  the  schools 
and  public  institutions  of  that  country,  namely,  the  shower  or  rain-bath  system. 
Results  have,  it  is  said,  shown  a  marked  improvement  in  the  general  health  and 
working  qualities  of  those  using  them. 

The  special  recommendations  of  this  system  are  that  it  is  more  economical 
of  space ;  and  that  men  can  get  a  thorough  wash-down  in  a  short  time  —  from 
three  to  five  minutes  —  with  great  economy  in  the  amount  of  water  used.  It 
can  also  be  introduced  at  a  comparatively  small  cost;  and,  in  large  industrial 
establishments,  wrould  be  found  to  be  of  great  value  to,  and  appreciated  by,  the 
workers,  especially  those  in  cities,  where  facilities  for  maintaining  personal  cleanli- 
ness at  home  or  elsewhere  are  often  very  small. 

This  matter  has,  we  understand,  been  in  the  minds  of  several  employers 
of  labor  throughout  this  country.  Among  these  employers  is  J.  H.  Williams,  of 
the  firm  of  J.  H.  Williams  &  Co.,  the  well-known  makers  of  drop  forgings  of 
Brooklyn,  N.Y.  After  long  consideration  and  investigation,  he  convinced  him- 
self of  the  material  advantages  which  would  result  from  supplying  his  men  with 
bathing  facilities,  and  accordingly  decided  to  adopt  the  shower-bath  plan  as  the 
best  method  for  overcoming  the  objections  as  to  cost,  space,  loss  of  time,  etc., 
which  in  this  connection  were  urged  with  reason  against  the  bathtub  system. 
Taking  as  his  model  the  "People's  Baths"  of  New  York  City,  he  built  a  similar 
bath  house  in  connection  with  his  works,  which  is  the  first  on  this  principle  yet 
introduced  into  any  American  factory. 

Space  for  the  new  bathing-room  was  found  at  one  end  of  the  lofty  forge-shop 
in  the  works  of  the  firm.  A  new  story  was  "hung  on"  to  the  roof,  forming  a 
room  50  feet  in  length  and  with  an  average  width  of  19  feet.  On  one  side  of  the 


142  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

new  room  are  placed  12  shower  baths,  consisting  of  small  cubicles  with  ample 
room  for  a  man  to  stand  and  move  in.  In  each  is  fixed  a  large  overhead  spray 
connected  to  pipes  conveying  hot  and  cold  water.  The  hot-water  pipe  is  connected 
with  the  heating  system  in  use  all  over  the  factory,  and  the  cold  with  the  street 
main.  These  can  be  regulated  so  as  to  obtain  any  temperature  desired  by  the 
bather.  A  rack  with  soap  is  fixed  on  the  wall;  and  the  water  is  conveyed  off  by  a 
trough  at  the  side  of  the  room,  the  asphalt  floor  having  a  double  incline,  which 
insures  the  ready  flow  of  water.  These  bathing  compartments  occupy  but  a 
small  floor  space,  being  only  3  feet  by  4  feet  in  dimensions. 

It  is  calculated  that  the  men  will  take  but  from  three  to  five  minutes  in  getting 
a  wash-down,  so  that  a  number  can  bathe  in  rapid  succession;  a  great  feature 


FIG.  64.    VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  LAVATORIES  AND  SHOWER  BATH  ROOMS 
IN  FACTORY  OF  J.  H.  WILLIAMS   &  Co.,  IN  BROOKLYN. 


where  all  wish  to  bathe  at  the  same  time,  as  would  be  the  case  in  large  factories. 
The  baths  would  probably  be  most  in  request  at  the  close  of  the  day's  work,  when 
men  do  not  care  to  waste  their  time  in  prolonged  ablutions,  and  yet  can  afford 
sufficient  time  to  get  a  thorough  cleansing  by  a  shower  bath  on  this  principle. 
The  water  each  would  use,  too,  would  be  but  about  one-seventh  of  the  amount 
required  for  a  tub.  No  attendant  is  necessary  to  fill  the  tubs,  etc.,  and  no  clean- 
ing up  is  entailed  afterward,  as  the  water  runs  off  immediately,  the  cleansing  being 
automatic. 

There  are  other  advantages  in  the  shower-bath  system  also,  in  that  no  soiled 
water  touches  the  body,  consequently  the  cleansing  is  more  thorough,  and  there 
is  no  danger,  as  in  the  bathtub,  of  communicating  disease.  The  baths  are  ready, 
too,  at  all  seasons  and  times,  and  there  is  little  apparatus  to  get  out  of  order.  It 
is  believed  that  in  hot  weather  the  men  will  often  utilize  a  portion  of  their  dinner 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS 


143 


144  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

time  in  getting  a  "refresher"  in  the  bathroom,  and  will  go  back  invigorated  thereby 
to  their  afternoon's  work. 

The  system  appears  to  be  one  that  would  recommend  itself  to  employers 
solicitous  for  the  comfort  and  health  of  their  men.  It  is  also  calculated  to  educate 
the  men  in  habits  of  cleanliness  and  order,  and  is  altogether  a  step  in  the  right 
direction. 

In  addition  to  the  shower  baths,  which  unfortunately  do  not  show  in  Fig.  64, 
for  which  I  am  indebted  to  the  firm,  the  washroom  is  provided  with  numerous 
individual  solid  porcelain  lavatories,  in  which  those  men  can  wash  themselves  who 
do  not  require  a  regular  bath. 

A  matter  which  has  long  troubled  workingmen  is  the  disposal  of  their  work- 


FIG.  66.    VIEW  OF  WORKINGMEN'S  LAVATORIES  AND  SHOWER  BATHS  AT 
WORKS  OF  CLEVELAND  CLIFFS  IRON  Co.,  A/  ISPHEMING,  MICH. 

ing  clothes.  These  become  soaked  with  perspiration  in  a  place  like  a  forge  shop, 
and  when  taken  off  at  the  day's  end  must  be  either  carried  home  to  be  washed, 
or  hung  up  in  the  shop  to  dry  and  put  on  next  day  in  a  sour,  unpleasant  state. 
In  the  wash-house  a  large  soapstone  sink  is  provided,  where  the  men  can  in  a 
few  minutes  rinse  out  their  soiled  garments  and  pass  them  through  a  wringer 
attached  to  the  side  of  the  trough.  A  drying  closet  is  placed  at  the  corner  of  the 
room,  where,  by  means  of  hot-water  pipes,  the  clothes  are  thoroughly  dried;  and 
they  can  thus  be  put  on  next  morning  clean  and  fresh,  —  a  great  boon  to  men 
who  work  in  the  heat  of  a  forge  shop,  and  are  constantly  in  a  condition  of  sweat, 
which  soaks  the  clothes  in  which  they  work. 

Opposite  the  bathing  compartments  is  a  double  line  of  lockers,  80  in  all, 
in  which  the  men  can  stow  their  clothes.  These  lockers  are  high  enough  for 
hanging  garments,  and  are  provided  with  hooks  and  a  shelf  for  small  articles. 


FACTORY  AND  WORKINGMEN'S  BATHS  145 

Mr.  Williams  believed  that  the  bathing  and  washing  facilities  which  he  gave 
to  his  men  would  prove  a  good  investment  in  the  increased  returns  of  work  done, 
At  the  same  time  he  regards  it  as  a  still  wider  question,  affecting  the  community 
at  large.  His  opinion  on  the  subject  is  briefly  put  in  his  own  words  thus:  "As 
it  is  acknowledged  that  habitual  bathing  prevents  disease,  and  promotes  health 
and  morality,  baths  for  working  people  affect  all  classes  of  society.  Employers 
are,  therefore,  under  moral  obligations  to  supply  such  facilities,  and  health,  de- 
cency and  humanity  demand  it,  because  few  opportunities  for  personal  cleanli- 
ness are  afforded  to  any  but  the  privileged  classes!" 

Fig.  65  is  an  illustration  of  the  wash  and  locker  room  in  the 
Schenectady  Works  of  the  General  Electric  Company,  which  I 
am  enabled  to  reproduce  through  the  kindness  of  the  company's 
general  manager. 

Fig.  66  gives  a  view  of  the  shower  baths  and  lavatories  for 
workingmen  provided  at  the  works  of  the  Cleveland  Cliffs  Iron 
Co.,  at  Ispheming,  Mich.  The  photograph  from  which  the  illus- 
tration was  made  was  sent  to  me  by  the  works'  manager,  who 
kindly  consented  to  its  use  in  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  X 

SCHOOL  BATHS 

EXPERIENCE  teaches  that  the  air  of  schoolrooms  becomes 
badly  contaminated  by  the  emanations  from  the  children's  bodies 
and  by  the  odors  of  their  clothing.  All  attempts  to  improve  the 
sanitary  condition  of  schools  will  fail  to  accomplish  their  object 
thoroughly,  if  means  are  not  provided  in  the  school  to  cleanse  the 
bodies  of  the  children.  Cleanliness  of  school  children  will  make 
the  ventilation  of  the  classrooms  a  problem  easier  to  solve,  and 
further  than  that,  it  will  tend  to  increase  the  appreciation  of 
cleanliness  in  the  poorer  classes,  and  thus  indirectly  stimulate 
bodily  —  and  often  moral  —  purity  in  the  home  circle. 

The  first  one  to  suggest  the  advantages  and  necessity  of  school 
baths  was,  I  believe,  Dr.  Alfred  Carpenter  of  Croydon,  England. 
In  his  lectures  on  "Preventive  Medicine  in  Relation  to  Public 
Health,"  delivered  in  1877,  he  discussed  the  subject  as  follows: 

Every  public  elementary  school  ought  to  have  a  proper  washing  place,  so  that 
the  children  might  wash  the  whole  of  the  body  at  least  twice  a  week,  as  well  as 
their  hands  and  face.  There  should  also  be  a  warding  place  for  clothes,  with  a 
drying  closet  attached,  which  should  dry  the  clothes  as  quickly  as  possible,  and 
be  so  arranged  that  cloth  clothes  might  be  cleansed  and  disinfected,  as  well  as 
linen  clothes  washed. 

Is  the  custom  of  wearing  the  same  dirty  garments  day  after  day,  getting  daily 
more  filthy,  an  unavoidable  one  ?  It  is  this  custom  which  makes  the  air  of  rooms 
so  unwholesome  in  which  the  lower  classes  of  children  assemble,  and  which  fre- 
quently produces  the  first  seeds  of  evil  in  the  constitution,  especially  when  they 
go  into  the  room  damp  from  the  effect  of  a  drizzling  rain.  Every  one  accustomed 
to  a  badly  ventilated  schoolroom  knows  that  it  is  the  smell  from  damp  and  dirty 
clothes  which  is  the  principal  source  of  the  offensive  atmosphere.  Even  if  the 
clothes  will  not  wash,  an  exposure  in  the  drying  closet  to  a  temperature  of  350 
degrees  will  not  hurt  their  texture,  whilst  it  will  entirely  destroy  any  lurking  seed 
of  infectious  disorders  which  might  be  clinging  to  them,  as  well  as  destroy  the 
seed  beds  themselves;  and  in  the  possible  case  of  infection  being  brought  into 

146 


SCHOOL    BATHS  147 


the  school  in  the  clothes,  would,  in  the  majority  of  instances,  prevent  it  from  spread- 
ing among  the  pupils.  .  .  . 

I  contend  that  a  public  elementary  school  should  possess: 

(1)  Access  to  a  bath,  in  which  every  child  should  be  required  to  bathe  twice 
a  week.     Every  day  would  be  better  still. 

(2)  A  washing  place,  in  which  they  should  be  obliged  to  wash  daily. 

(3)  A  room  in  which  the  hair  should  be  combed  and  the  head  cleaned  every 
day,   and  oftener  if  necessary.     These  operations  should  be  superintended  by 
some  person,  who  should  see  that  the  elder  children  attended  to  the  younger  as 
well  as  themselves,  and  so  teach  them  to  be  careful  of  others. 

(4)  A  laundry,  in  which  the  clothes  which  required  it  could  be  washed. 

(5)  A  drying  closet,  capable  of  being  heated  to  400  degrees  Fahr.  in  which 
washed  clothes  and  also  all  damp  garments  could  be  quickly  dried.     This  would 
be  a  great  boon  to  the  children  on  wet  days. 

I  contend  that  all  these  are  necessary  for  the  education  of  the  great  mass 
of  our  poor,  as  much  as,  if  not  more  than,  a  knowledge  of  geography  and  astronomy, 
or  even  history.  It  will  be  impossible  for  the  people  to  be  godly  until  they  are 
instructed  in  the  way  of  cleanliness.  Cleanly  children  will  acquire  a  dislike 
for  personal  dirt  and  retain  it  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  They  will  make  more 
effort  to  raise  themselves  from  below  the  level  of  brutes  to  that  of  Christians 
than  they  otherwise  would  do  if  allowed  to  remain  accustomed  to  filth.  Use 
becomes  second  nature,  and  second  nature  in  a  century  or  two  becomes  instinc- 
tive. 

It  is  only  by  educating  our  poorer  classes  in  cleanliness  in  early  life  that  we 
shall  make  them,  as  a  whole,  love  it  for  its  own  sake,  and  hate  dirt  and  those  habits 
which  tend  to  make  man  lower  than  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  too  often  now  arising 
from  an  acquaintance,  an  intimate  association  with  dirt  and  dirty  homes  among  the 
poor.  Poverty  may  be  clean,  and  with  cleanliness  the  first  step  will  have  been 
taken  to  do  away  with  the  evils  which  follow  in  its  train,  and  that  health  secured 
which  riches  without  cleanliness  cannot  possibly  purchase. 

Of  the  three  types  of  baths,  namely,  the  tub  bath,  the  spray  bath 
and  the  swimming  bath,  the  first  named,  viz.,  tubs,  are  not  well 
adapted  or  suitable  for  schools,  as  a  very  large  number  of  fixtures 
would  be  required  to  bathe  all  the  children.  The  space  for  so 
many  tubs  cannot  always  be  found  in  a  school  building,  and  the 
bathing  process  would  naturally  be  slow  and  result  in  serious 
inconvenience.  Bathtubs  would  likewise  require  the  outlay  of 
a  vast  sum  of  monev. 

Swimming  baths  in  schools  would  be  good,  as  far  as  giving  an 
opportunity  for  bodily  exercise  is  concerned.  For  a  cleansing 
bath,  however,  as  I  have  explained  in  earlier  chapters,  the  swim- 


148  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

ming  bath  is  not  well  suited,  and  here  again  the  tepid  shower  or 
rain  bath  offers  immense  advantages. 

To  Professor  Fluegge  and  to  Mayor  Merkel,  of  the  German 
university  town  of  Goettingen,  belongs  the  credit  of  having  first 
tried  the  experiment  of  rain  baths  in  the  public  schools,  about  the 
year  1885. 

In  German  schools,  groups  of  children  are  bathed  together,  and 
care  is  taken  not  to  give  the  baths  at  the  end  of  the  school  session, 
so  that  the  children  will  not  catch  cold  in  going  home.  After 
some  use  of  the  baths,  it  is  found  that  the  children  enjoy  them; 
that  their  minds  become  more  active  and  attentive;  that  the  baths 
induce  better  cleanliness  in  clothing  and  underwear;  that  the 
parents  pay  more  attention  to  the  cleanly  appearance  of  their 
children;  and  finally,  that  the  air  of  the  schoolrooms  is  greatly 
improved. 

At  first,  some  teachers  and  Boards  of  Education  raised  trivial 
objections  to  the  introduction  of  bathing  in  the  schools.  They 
claimed  that  the  school  was  not  the  place  to  educate  children  to 
appreciate  the  cleanliness  obtained  by  bathing,  that  this  belonged 
to  the  family;  fear  was  expressed  lest  the  children  should  catch 
cold,  whereas  experience  has  proven  that  the  bath  hardens  the 
body;  others  objected  to  the  cost,  claiming  that  people's  baths 
and  not  school  baths  were  required;  a  few,  finally,  objected  to 
the  bathing  being  made  compulsory,  while  experience  in  the  schools 
demonstrated  the  fact  that  the  children  soon  all  became  eager  to 
bathe. 

In  German  schools  bathing  has  quickly  become  very  popular, 
and  the  movement  is  rapidly  extending  in  all  large  cities,  so  much 
so  that  recent  new  school  buildings  are  rarely  erected  without 
rain  baths  for  boys  and  girls  in  the  basement. 

In  this  country  there  are  as  yet  comparatively  few  school  baths. 
One  of  the  first  school  rain  baths  was  erected  in  a  high  school  at 
Scranton,  Pa.,  some  years  ago.  Quite  recently  the  newer  public 
schools  in  New  York  City  and  in  Boston  have  been  provided  with 
spray  baths  which  are,  I  believe,  quite  successful. 

At  Manistee,  Mich.,  a  company  erected  people's  baths  on  the 


SCHOOL    BATHS  149 


rain-bath  principle  in  1885,  and  one  of  the  aims  of  the  company 
was  to  get  as  many  children  as  possible  to  take  regular  baths  by 
distributing  free  tickets  to  the  school  children. 

From  a  paper  in  one  of  the  Michigan  State  Board  of  Health 
reports  I  learn  that  while  the  Emiline  Bath  Company,  of  Manistee, 
furnishes  tub  baths  toathose  who  desire  them,  it  heartily  recom- 
mends the  shower  bath  as  preferable,  enumerating  the  following 
advantages: 

(1)  In  cases  where  one  bather  follows  immediately  after  another  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  shower-rooms  is  the  purest,  as  the  spray  from  the  shower  absorbs 
the  impurities  of  the  air  and  carries  them  into  the  sewer  on  the  same  principle 
that  the  rain  purifies  the  air  outside. 

(2)  The  patron  of  the  shower  bath  does  not  come  in  contact  with  anything 
that  the  former  occupant  came  in  contact  with,  except  the  rack  which  he  stands 
upon,  and  the  seat  which  he  sits  upon.     This  seat  is  varnished  with  shellac,  and 
may  be  showered  by  the  occupant. 

(3)  The  water  of  the  shower  bath  is  continually  changing,  so  that  the  bather 
is  using  fresh  water  to  every  part  of  the  body. 

(4)  The   occupant   of  the   shower-room  has  easy  access  to  all   parts  of  the 
body,  owing  to  the  upright  or  sitting  posture. 

(o)  The  occupant  of  the  shower  bath  has  no  resistance  of  water  pressure 
to  contend  with,  while  in  the  tub  bath  the  feet  and  that  portion  of  the  body  resting 
upon  the  bottom  of  the  tub  are  under  the  pressure  of  nearly  one-half  pound  to  the 
square  inch,  which  of  course  to  a  certain  extent  resists  the  throwing-out  process 
of  the  pores. 

NOTE.  — The  E.  B.  Co.  does  not  recommend  the  use  of  soap.  Instead,  one- 
fourth  ounce  of  salts  of  tartar  and  one-fourth  ounce  of  borax  to  one  quart  of  water 
is  found  to  produce  an  alkaline  sufficiently  strong  to  cut  the  oil  of  the  body,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  borax  is  found  to  have  a  cooling  effect  on  the  skin. 

In  February,  1885,  a  Sub-Committee  on  Baths  and  Lavatories 
of  a  Citizens'  Committee  in  New  York  City  made  a  report,  recom- 
mending the  erection  of  people's  baths  in  the  tenement  districts, 
and  also  advising  the  equipment  of  public  schools,  wherever 
practicable,  with  baths  in  the  basements.  The  committee  favored 
the  adoption  of  the  rain-bath  system,  "because  the  cost  of  erection 
is  very  moderate  and  because  the  system  is  characterized  by  clean- 
liness and  simplicity." 

In  a  chapter  on  "The  Proper  Arrangement  of  Bath  Apartments" 
in  my  work,  "Sanitary  Engineering  of  Buildings,"  published  in 


150  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

1899,  I  commented  on  the  desirability  of  providing  rain  baths  in 
our  public  schools  in  the  following  words: 

"I  hope  in  the  interest  of  the  coming  generation  of  our  American 
school  children  that  some  pen,  more  facile  and  powerful  than  my 
own,  will  make  a  strong  plea  to  our  Boards  of  Education  in  favor 
of  spray  baths  in  the  public  schools." 

A  year  after  writing  this  sentence  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  make  such 
a  plea,  arguing  in  favor  of  school  baths  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  American  Social  Science  Association,  held  in  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, D.C.,  on  May  7,  1900.  My  paper  was  subsequently 
printed  in  the  Journal  of  the  Association,  also  distributed  as  a 
separate  reprint,  and  was  widely  read.  Quite  a  few  spray  baths 
were  fitted  up  in  schools  as  a  result  of  the  plea. 

This  paper  has  been  out  of  print  for  some  time,  and  as  there 
has  been  quite  a  demand  for  it,  I  reprint  it  here  in  full,  with  its 
accompanying  illustrations,  trusting  that  the  reader  will  overlook 
a  few  repetitions  which  become  unavoidable. 

A  PLEA  FOR  RAIN  BATHS  IN  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 

Sanitary  science  teaches  that  infectious  diseases  can  best  be 
prevented  by  the  speedy  and  regular  removal  of  all  dirt  and 
waste  refuse  from  the  centers  of  population.  This  axiom  applies 
not  only  to  our  city  streets  and  habitations,  but  also  to  the  human 
body.  One  of  the  functions  of  the  skin  is  to  continually  secrete 
waste  products  from  the  body.  During  this  process  the  outer 
layers  of  the  skin  are  continually  cast  off  and  renewed.  The 
clothing  which  civilized  human  beings  wear  forms  an  obstruction 
to  the  immediate  removal  of  the  dead  and  cast-off  matter,  hence 
the  skin  excretions  are  retained  on  the  same  longer  than  is  desirable. 
The  waste  matters  form  an  incrustation  on  the  skin,  are  then 
subject  to  decomposition,  give  off  bad  odors,  and  impair  the 
proper  function  of  the  skin.  The  chief  reason  for  wearing  under- 
wear is  to  prevent  the  skin  dirt  from  attaching  to  the  outer  clothes, 
but  some  of  the  dirt  remains  in  the  undergarments  until  these 
are  sent  to  the  laundry.  Bacteriologists  have  discovered  in  such 


SCHOOL    BATHS  151 


clothes  not  only  dirt  and  layers  of  the  skin,  but  also  many  bacteria 
and  disease  germs.  It  is  obvious,  then,  that  both  the  skin  of 
persons  and  their  underclothing  need  frequent  cleaning,  the 
one  in  the  bath,  the  other  in  the  wash. 

Among  the  chief  causes  of  air  contamination  in  schoolrooms 
are,  first,  the  lack  of  bodily  cleanliness  of  many  school  children, 
and,  second,  the  dirt  accumulated  both  in  the  pupils'  underwear 
and  also  in  their  outer  garments. 

Ventilation  of  rooms  is  usually  understood  to  comprise  means 
for  the  removal  of  foul  air  and  for  the  introduction  of  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  purified  air,  warmed  during  the  winter  season,  and 
admitted  in  such  a  way  as  to  avoid  any  draft.  I  assert,  however, 
without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  in  schoolrooms  the  best  system 
of  ventilation  must  fail  to  remove  entirely  the  odors  arising  from 
unwashed  bodies  and  from  unclean  garments.  It  is  a  matter 
of  common  observation  that  the  air  of  a  classroom  can  be  ren- 
dered much  purer  by  a  removal  of  the  pupils  during  recess  and 
by  some  energetic  air-flushing  accomplished  by  opening  all 
windows,  than  by  the  best  ventilating  system,  and  this  for  the 
obvious  reason  that  two  of  the  chief  sources  of  air  pollution  — 
the  children  themselves  and  their  clothes  —  have  been  removed. 
Therefore  it  follows  that  the  above,  generally  accepted  definition 
of  "ventilation"  is  imperfect,  that  something  more  is  required 
than  the  mere  introduction  of  pure  air  and  the  removal  of  foul 
air.  What  we  must  do,  in  ventilating  rooms  or  audience  halls, 
is  to  remove  entirely,  or  to  keep  out,  all  direct  sources  of  impurities 
which  contaminate  the  inside  air.  Applied  to  buildings  in  general, 
this  means  that  plumbing  fixtures,  traps  and  pipes,  which  may 
contain  sewer  air,  must  be  made  free  from  defects  or  leaks,  that 
gas  leaks  likewise  must  be  repaired,  and  that  there  must  be  no 
accumulations  of  organic  waste  matters,  such  as  garbage.  In 
schoolrooms,  in  particular,  it  points  to  the  desirability  of  fre- 
quent and  thorough  ablutions  of  the  children.  Incidentally 
it  shows  that  it  is  desirable  to  remove  from  classrooms  the  usual 
wardrobes  for  the  overcoats,  head  coverings,  umbrellas  and 
rubber  shoes  of  the  pupils.  Even  where  such  wardrobes  are 


152  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

provided  with  special  ventilating  flues,  the  odors  from  a  large 
number  of  damp  clothes  are  apt  to  assert  themselves  unpleasantly. 
It  is  vastly  better  to  arrange  the  wardrobes  in  the  corridors  out- 
side of  the  classrooms,  or  else  to  provide  special  hat  and  coat 
rooms  for  pupils  near  the  entrance  halls  of  the  school.  The 
ventilation  system  adopted  for  a  schoolhouse,  whatever  it  may 
be,  can  be  a  success  only  if  all  sources  of  noxious  emanations 
are  done  away  with. 

The  purpose  of  my  paper  is  to  advocate  the  introduction  and 
establishment  of  "rain  baths"  in  the  public  schools.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  understood  as  considering  school  baths  an  absolute 
necessity  in  all  public  schools.  Some  school  buildings  are  located 
in  good  neighborhoods,  and  are  attended  by  the  children  of 
people  who  are  tolerably  well-to-do,  and  in  whose  homes  cleanli- 
ness can  be,  and  is  usually,  attained.  Public  schools  located 
in  the  tenement  districts,  on  the  other  hand,  are  very  much  bene- 
fited if  some  method  of  bathing  the  children  during  school  hours 
is  provided,  for  the  largest  percentage  of  the  tenement-house 
population  must  go  without  a  bath  the  year  round.  In  the 
narrow,  dark  and  ill-ventilated  quarters  which  they  call  their 
"homes"  opportunities  are  seldom  afforded  for  thorough  ablutions. 

Some  years  ago  Dr.  Hunter  Stewart  of  Edinburgh  read  a 
paper  entitled  "Ventilation  of  Public  Schools,"  in  which  he 
suggested  the  establishment  of  "soap  and  water"  baths  in  schools, 
assuring  his  audience  that  "the  use  of  such  would  go  far  to 
purify  their  atmosphere."  Dr.  Oscar  Lassar,  one  of  the  earliest 
champions  of  the  rain  bath,  asserted  that  the  air  of  theaters  and 
audience  halls  generally  was  polluted  not  so  much  by  the  prod- 
ucts of  gas  illumination  and  the  respiratory  process  as  by  the 
noxious  exhalations  emanating  from  ill-kept  skins,  and  intensified 
by  the  heat  due  to  the  crowding  together  of  many  persons. 

The  late  sanitarian,  Sir  Edwin  Chadwick,  in  advocating  school 
baths  said,  "  Of  the  lessons  that  may  be  taught  in  the  schools,  the 
practice  of  cleanliness  is  of  the  highest  order."  In  a  review  of 
the  progress  of  sanitation  during  the  year  1888,  he  called  attention 
to  the  new  bathing  apparatus  especially  applicable  to  schools 


SCHOOL    BATHS  153 


by  which  a  child  may  be  completely  washed  in  three  minutes. 
"Look  at  the  comparative  sanitary  result  of  the  washed  children 
of  a  whole  school,"  he  says,  "as  against  the  common  one  of  the 
fouled  air  and  badly  washed  children.  Look  at  the  service  to 
the  poor  mother  who  has  no  means  of  washing."  From  Kotel- 
mann's  book  on  "School  Hygiene"  I  quote  as  follows: 

If  cleanliness  does  not  prevail  in  the  schoolroom,  and  the  air  is  con- 
stantly being  polluted  by  filth,  no  amount  of  ventilation  will  prove  sufficient. 
Cleanliness  should  extend,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  pupils  themselves.  Not  only 
ought  their  bodies  to  be  scrupulously  clean,  but  also  their  clothes  and  shoes. 

In  connection  with  this  matter  the  school  shower  baths,  introduced  by  the 
City  of  Goettingen,  deserve  more  attention  from  higher  institutions  of  learning 
than  they  have  hitherto  received.  For  one  thing  they  promote  the  cleanliness 
of  the  skin;  and  for  another,  they  lead  the  pupil  to  desire  clean  underclothing. 

These  and  similar  observations  agree  entirely  with  those  of 
the  writer  and  serve  but  to  confirm  the  suggestions  made  in  this 
essay. 

It  is  a  deplorable  fact  that  the  children  of  the  poorer  classes 
of  a  population,  who  form  the  largest  attendance  in  the  public 
schools,  particularly  in  the  elementary  grades,  often  show  an 
utter  disregard  for,  and  lack  of,  personal  cleanliness.  In  the 
tenements  the  children  usually  have  no  facilities  for  bathing  and 
keeping  clean.  They  may  wash  their  faces  and  hands  daily  — 
and  this  usually,  too,  in  a  hasty  manner  —  but  the  feet  are  bathed 
only  at  rare  intervals,  and  in  many  cases  the  main  body  receives 
no  ablution  the  entire  year.  In  fact,  observation  shows  that 
many  poor  children  have  not  the  desire  for  a  cleansing  bath  at 
regular  intervals,  for  though  we  see  them  flocking  to  the  free 
floating  baths  in  summer  time  in  cities  situated  on  rivers  or  near 
the  seashore,  they  are  attracted  there  solely  by  the  wish  to  enjoy 
the  refreshing  sensation  of  the  bath  or  to  practice  swimming. 

Assuming,  therefore,  that  school  baths  are  desirable  if  practi- 
cable, the  question  arises,  What  form  of  bath  should  be  used  in 
schools?  This  is  answered  by  considering  the  object  in  view, 
which  is  to  afford  the  children  inexpensive,  quickly  applied  means 
for  ablutions  of  the  whole  body.  For  such  a  cleansing  bath,  warm 


154  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

water  and  soap  are  required.  The  former  loosens  the  outer 
incrustations  of  the  skin,  composed  of  dirt  particles  and  epithelial 
cells,  while  the  alkali  of  the  soap  cuts  the  grease  excretions  and 
assists  in  removing  them. 

Warm  baths  can  be  given  in  large  swimming  basins,  in  tubs,  and 
finally  by  means  of  simple  sprays  or  showers.  Swimming  basins 
are  ill  adapted  for  school  baths,  for  they  are  not  only  very  costly 
to  build  and  maintain,  but  they  are  not  intended  for  washing  and 
ablutions,  and  the  common  use  of  the  water  in  swimming  basins 
involves  the  possibility  of  the  transmission  of  infectious  diseases. 
Warm  tub  baths  are  likewise  unsuitable,  for  they  are  more  ex- 
pensive than  sprays  both  in  first  cost  and  in  maintenance;  they 
require  much  more  space  and  a  very  much  larger  quantity  of 
water.  They  also  require  more  time  in  filling  and  in  emptying, 
and  more  labor  and  attention  to  keep  them  clean.  In  the  tub 
the  bather  is  surrounded  by  dirty  water,  whereas  in  the  rain  bath 
a  constantly  fresh  stream  of  water  pours  down  upon  his  body, 
and  at  once  flows  off  to  the  sewer.  In  fact,  the  same  arguments 
which  point  to  the  superiority  of  the  spray  or  rain  baths  for  people's 
baths  are  applicable  in  their  entirety  to  school  baths. 

I  may  reasonably  assume  that  sanitarians,  and  others  interested, 
are  acquainted  with  my  former  essays  advocating  the  introduction 
of  the  rain  bath.*  Not  the  least  of  the  advantage  of  the  spray 
over  the  tub  bath  is  that  it  stimulates  the  action  of  the  skin  by 
the  mechanical  effect  of  the  drops  of  water,  and  hence  renders 
children  more  active  after  the  bath,  more  bright,  more  eager  to 
learn,  and  makes  them  show  interest  in  their  studies;  whereas 
a  bath  taken  in  a  tub  has  the  contrary  effect,  being  usually  de- 
bilitating. The  spray  bath  is  both  cleansing  and  stimulating,  and 
if  followed  by  a  gradually  colder  shower  subsequent  catching  cold 
may  be  prevented,  and  the  body  is  hardened  against  many  forms 
of  disease. 

The  particular  form  of  spray  which  I  would  recommend  is 
the  shower  of  tepid  water  from  an  inclined  overhead  rose  or 

*See  the  author's  essays  on  "The  Modern  Rain  Bath,"  and  on  "Bathing  and 
Different  Forms  of  Baths." 


SCHOOL    BATHS  155 


sprinkler  head,  having  a  large  number  of  perforations,  each  about 
^  inch  in  diameter.  The  rain  bath  is  sometimes  spoken  of 
as  a  modern  form  of  bath,  while  others  aptly  call  it  "the  bath 
of  the  future."  Dr.  Oscar  Lassar,  in  an  essay,*  read  at  the  meeting 
at  Cologne,  held  on  Sept.  18,  1898,  of  the  Association  of  German 
Naturalists  and  Physicians,  has  drawn  attention  to  the  fact  that 
a  Greek  vase,  recovered  from  the  excavations  at  Volci,  an  ancient 


0000     0000    0000     0000    0000 


FIG.  67.    ANTIQUE  VASE  SHOWING  SPRAY-BATH. 

Etruscan  city,  located  near  the  shores  of  the  Tyrhenean  Sea, 
which  vase  is  now  said  to  be  in  one  of  the  Berlin  Imperial  Mu- 
seums, proves  that  the  rain  or  spray  baths  were  well  known  to 
the  Greeks.  In  a  description  of  the  new  public  bath  house  at 
Breslau,  Prussia,  Dr.  Kabierske  illustrates  another  Greek  vase, 
on  which  is  represented  a  woman's  bath,  which  shows  clearly 
that  the  use  of  the  inclined  overhead  shower  was  known  to  the 
ancient  nations.  (See  Fig.  67.) 

In  taking  the  ground  that  the  spray  bath  is  the  best  form  of 
bath  for  use  in  public  schools,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood 
as    underestimating    the    beneficial    effect    of    swimming    baths. 
*  "Die  Kultur-Aufgabe  der  Volksbaeder." 


156  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

However  good  swimming  as  a  form  of  athletic  exercise  may  be, 
the  schoolhouse  proper  cannot  be  regarded  as  the  place  for  prac- 
ticing such  exercises. 

The  advantages  of  school  baths  are  numerous.  In  the  first 
place,  the  school  children  are  offered  the  opportunity  of  a  weekly 
cleansing  bath,  which  in  most  cases  they  lack  in  their  homes. 
The  children  are  readily  kept  clean,  and  this  in  turn,  as  already 
indicated,  is  a  powerful  help  in  keeping  the  air  of  the  classrooms 
free  from  disagreeable  odors.  In  addition  to  the  direct  benefit 
derived  from  bathing  there  is  the  indirect  advantage  resulting  from 
the  children  being  taught  and  brought  up  to  appreciate  cleanli- 
ness. In  the  early  summer  days  a  dash  of  water  from  a  cool 
spray  serves  to  refresh  the  body  and  to  reduce  its  temperature. 
Moreover  the  bathing  together  of  many  children  necessarily 
has  the  effect  of  making  them  more  tidy  as  regards  their  under- 
garments. This  in  turn  cannot  help  exerting  a  beneficial  in- 
fluence in  the  children's  homes,  for  parents  will  naturally  strive 
to  keep  their  children  cleaner,  and  their  garments  neater,  when 
they  know  that  in  undressing  together,  slovenliness  of  the  dress, 
or  raggedness  of  the  underclothes  due  to  the  mother's  carelessness 
or  inattention,  may  reflect  unfavorably  upon  the  children.  To 
a  certain  extent  the  bathing  of  children  in  public  schools  will 
exert  a  beneficial  and  wholesome  influence  in  fostering  habits 
of  cleanliness  among  the  people  generally.  Above  all,  the  habit 
of  taking  baths  at  regular  and  frequent  intervals,  if  cultivated 
and  taught  during  the  period  of  early  childhood,  is  bound  to 
exert  a  wholesome  influence  upon  the  later  periods  of  life. 

For  all  these  reasons  school  baths  may  rightly  be  considered 
to  be  a  moral  factor  in  the  education  of  the  young.  The  results 
even  extend  further  and  include  the  betterment  of  their  home 
life  and  surroundings. 

Is  it  not  a  fact  that,  besides  being  a  detriment  to  health,  lack 
of  cleanliness  gradually  leads  to  loss  of  self-respect,  to  bad  habits, 
vulgarity  and  vice?  In  a  measure  school  baths  even  help  to 
reduce  the  sharp  contrasts  which  exist  between  the  laboring  classes 
and  the  well-to-do  people. 


SCHOOL    BATHS  157 


Experience  teaches  that  a  school  janitor  can  readily  manage 
the  bathing  apparatus  and  control  the  bathing  of  the  boys,  while 
the  janitor's  wife  may  take  charge  of  the  bathroom  for  the  girls. 
The  hour  for  bathing  can  be  set  so  that  it  will  not  interfere  with 
any  important  studies,  but  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  not  to  con- 
tinue the  bathing  during  the  last  school  hour,  in  order  not  to  expose 
the  children  to  the  danger  of  catching  cold  when  they  leave  the 
school.  A  very  good  way  to  avoid  this  danger  at  all  times  is  to 
have  the  tepid  spray  followed  by  a  colder  one  of  short  duration, 
in  order  to  close  up  the  pores  of  the  skin  and  to  harden  the  body 
in  general. 

It  may  be  asked,  Are  not  school  baths  unnecessary  in  those 
cities  or  city  districts  where  people's  baths  are  maintained  by 
the  municipality  ?  In  answer,  let  me  state  that  up  to  the  present 
time  there  are  not,  in  any  city  of  the  United  States,  a  sufficient 
number  of  free  baths  for  the  people.  In  the  State  of  New  York, 
for  instance,  a  law  was  passed  in  1895,  making  the  establishment 
of  free  people's  baths  mandatory,  yet  no  free  baths  have  been 
added  so  far  to  those  few  which  existed  prior  to  the  passage  of 
this  legislative  act,  except  in  some  of  the  smaller  cities.  In  New 
York  City  some  people's  baths  are  now  under  construction;  in 
Brooklyn  no  effort  whatever  has  been  made  lately  to  erect  any 
free  baths  open  all  the  year  round.  Again,  experience  in  European 
cities,  where  it  has  been  the  custom  to  give  free  tickets  for  the 
public  baths  to  the  children  of  the  public  schools,  has  shown  that 
neither  the  children  nor  the  parents  appreciate  the  offer  sufficiently. 
******* 

Before  presenting  some  illustrations  of  plans  for  school  baths, 
let  me  say  a  few  words  about  how  the  establishment  of  spray 
baths  in  the  public  schools  originated.  History  informs  us  that 
in  ancient  Greece  gymnasia  and  swimming  baths  were  often 
attached  to  schools.  In  modern  times  a  few  of  the  schools  in 
England  were  provided,  some  with  tub  baths,  others  with  bathing 
pools.  At  one  of  the  large  Berlin  gymnasiums  (High  School) 
there  is  a  complete  swimming  bath,  besides  five  tub  baths  for 
preliminary  cleaning.  The  credit  of  introducing  spray  baths  into 


158         MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

the  public  schools  belongs  to  Professor  Fluegge  and  Mayor  Merkel, 
both  of  the  university  town  of  Goettingen,  in  Germany. 

The  first  trial  was  made  there  in  1885  in  one  of  the  public 
schools  by  fitting  up  in  the  basement  a  bathroom  8  feet  long  by 
16|  feet  wide,  an  adjoining  apartment  of  the  same  size  being  used 
as  a  dressing  room.  The  walls  were  finished  with  cement,  and 
the  floors  asphalted  and  covered  with  a  wooden  lattice  floor. 
Three  large  vertical  shower-heads  were  installed  and  under  each 
was  placed  a  zinc  pan,  about  3^  feet  in  diameter  and  about 
15  inches  high,  to  which  a  waste  pipe  was  attached.  The  showers 
were  arranged  to  run  simultaneously,  three  children  being  placed 
under  each.  The  janitor  controlled  the  mixing  of  the  hot  and 
cold  water,  and  the  children  were  not  permitted  to  touch  the  valves. 
Two  months  after  the  baths  were  put  in  operation,  75  per  cent 
of  the  children  bathed  regularly,  although  the  bathing  was  not 
made  obligatory. 

Later  on  the  greater  advantage  of  the  inclined  shower  was 
recognized  and  it  was  also  found  necessary  to  provide  larger 
dressing  rooms,  so  that  twice  the  number  of  children  bathing 
could  be  accommodated.  In  this  way  the  bathing  of  a  class  was 
quickly  accomplished. 

The  success  of  the  school  baths  at  Goettingen  was  so  great  that 
hygienists,  school-teachers  and  principals,  city  architects  and 
others  visited  the  new  baths  in  great  numbers. 

The  idea  became  at  once  very  popular,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
a  large  number  of  German  cities  provided  spray  baths  in  some 
of  their  school  buildings.  I  will  mention  only  a  few  of  these  out 
of  a  large  number.  In  Weimar  they  were  introduced  in  1886, 
and  soon  out  of  1,300  children  910  took  the  baths.  In  Magde- 
burg four  schools  have  spray  baths;  Koenigsberg  has  two  school- 
houses  with  baths.  Berlin  had  in  1896  four  school  baths,  Breslau 
had  four  in  1887,  and  since  then  five  more  have  been  installed. 
Posen  has  one  school  bath,  Frankfort-on-Main  had  in  1896  three, 
Hannover  nine  such  baths,  in  which  about  100,000  baths  were 
given  in  six  years.  Cologne  has  several  schools  so  fitted  up,  and 
in  Altona  a  large  schoolhouse  has  a  special  spray  bath  pavilion 


SCHOOL    BATHS  159 


arranged  in  the  center  court  between  the  two  wings  of  the  school 
building.  More  recently  school  baths  were  erected  in  several 
of  the  schools  of  Zurich  (Switzerland),  also  in  Copenhagen  (Den- 
mark), Christiania  (Norway)  and  in  Paris.  Wherever  such 
school  baths  were  introduced  their  success  was  almost  instan- 
taneous and  so  great  that  the  Boards  of  Education  decided  to 
include  baths  in  the  specifications  for  all  new  school  buildings. 
At  the  annual  meeting,  in  1886,  in  Breslau,  the  German  Public 
Health  Association  passed  resolutions  indorsing  and  recommend- 
ing school  baths  for  public  schools,  modeled  after  those  first 
introduced  at  Goettingen.  There  is  not  a  single  instance  on 
record  where  the  bathing  arrangements  placed  in  public  schools 
were  put  out  of  use  on  account  of  a  slim  attendance. 

In  a  report  on  School  Hygiene  and  Schoolhouses,  written  by 
Dr.  A.  G.  Young,  for  the  seventh  annual  report  (1892)  of  the 
State  Board  of  Health  of  Maine,  the  German  school  baths  are 
referred  to  as  follows: 

The  advantages  of  the  school  baths  observed  in  European  schools  are  bodily 
cleanliness  of  the  child,  greater  care  on  the  part  of  the  parents  in  keeping  the 
clothes  of  the  school  children  neat  and  clean,  improvement  of  the  condition  of 
the  schoolroom  air,  again  in  the  physical  health  of  the  pupil,  and  the  increase  in  the 
mental  freshness  and  activity.  There  results,  therefore,  a  physical,  a  moral  and 
an  intellectual  gain.  Moreover,  from  more  than  one  of  the  towns  where  school 
baths  have  been  opened  comes  the  testimony  that  a  good  reflex  moral  influence 
has  been  exerted  upon  the  parents  and  families  of  the  pupils.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  The  manifest  advantages  that  have  come  from  the  establishment  of 
school  baths  in  the  old  countries  render  it  evident  that  their  introduction  into 
some  of  our  own  city  schools  is  an  experiment  worth  trying. 

In  the  city  of  Boston  school  baths  were  introduced  about  1896 
at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Edward  M.  Hart  well,  at  the  new  Paul 
Revere  school,  designed  by  Messrs.  Peabody  &  Stearns,  archi- 
tects, at  the  North  End,  and  soon  after  at  another  school  at  the 
West  End.  In  the  former  school  1,000  children  bathed  in  one 
week.  When  the  baths  were  first  contemplated,  the  Committee 
on  Schoolhouses  reported  unfavorably,  saying: 

We  hesitate  to  take  the  position  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  school  authorities 
to  bathe  the  children  in  public  schools,  because  they  may  not  be  clean,  for  if  this 


160  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

be  granted,  we  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  clothe  them  if  they  be  improperly 
clothed,  or  feed  them  if  they  are  not  properly  nourished  at  home. 

But,  outside  of  the  legal  questions  involved,  your  Committee  do  not  believe 
that  it  is  in  the  interest  of  the  public  health  to  place  these  wash-houses  in  the  base- 
ments of  our  public  school  buildings,  to  there  accumulate  the  uncleanliness  which 
may  be  brought  in  on  the  bodies  of  the  children.  More  or  less  foul  odors  must 
necessarily  come  from  this  practice,  and  your  Committee  feel  that  the  suggestion 
that  eventually  these  wash-houses  be  used  for  the  general  public  is  not  in  the 
interest  of  proper  sanitation. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  at  least  one  member  of  the  Committee  that 
he  replied  to  this  as  follows: 

One  would  infer  that  the  new  Paul  Revere  Schoolhouse  was  not  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  sewer  at  all.  One  would  think  that  the  accumulation  of  filth  was 
to  be  kept  there  in  the  building.  ...  It  is  perfectly  absurd  to  say  that  it  is  im- 
possible in  the  basement  of  a  public  school  building,  built  as  you  have  to  build  them 
in  that  section  of  the  city,  that  a  bath  house  cannot  be  provided  from  which  no 
odor  whatever  can  arise.  But,  if  we  must  have  foul  odors,  let  us  have  them  in  the 
basement  and  not  in  the  schoolroom.  It  is  not  a  wash-house  at  all,  by  the  way, 
but  simply  bathing  facilities  in  the  basement  of  a  school  building. 

Later  on,  the  Committee  on  Hygiene  reported  favorably,  the 
vote  standing  eleven  in  favor  and  eight  against  the  sanitary  meas- 
ure. Mention  was  made  at  this  meeting  that  though  the  Com- 
mittee had  spent  about  $4,000  in  one  school  to  do  away  with 
unclean  odors,  they  did  not  succeed  in  getting  rid  of  them. 

From  the  annual  report  of  the  School  Committee  of  the  City  of 
Boston  for  the  year  1899,  I  extract  the  following  description  of 
the  school  baths  at  the  Paul  Revere  school : 

Not  alone  is  the  Paul  Revere  school  notable  for  its  attractive  exterior  and 
interior,  its  artistic  decorations  and  the  historic  name  it  bears,  but  from  the  tact 
that  it  is  the  first  schoolhouse  in  Boston  to  contain  bathing  facilities  for  pupils. 
This  school  is  located  in  one  of  the  most  congested  sections  of  the  city,  inhabited 
by  a  dense  population,  consisting  mainly  of  Hebrews  and  Italians,  with  a  liberal 
percentage  of  other  nationalities.  ...  It  was  fitting,  therefore,  that  in  this  crowded 
section  should  first  be  tried  the  experiment  of  school  baths.  Two  sets  were  in- 
stalled in  the  new  Paul  Revere  school,  one  for  each  sex,  at  opposite  ends  of  the 
basement,  which  are  open  every  school  day.  On  the  girls'  side  there  are  ten  in- 
dividual compartments,  each  containing  a  seat  and  a  spray.  These  compart- 
ments are  of  slate  on  three  sides,  with  the  entrance  screened  by  a  rubber  curtain 
hung  from  rings,  which  can  be  drawn  at  the  pleasure  of  the  occupant.  There  are 
also  in  the  same  room  thirty  dressing  closets,  each  containing  a  seat,  hooks  for  cloth- 


SCHOOL    BATHS  161 


ing  and  provided  with  a  self-closing  blind  door.  The  floor  is  of  concrete  covered 
with  movable  slatted  walks,  made  in  short  sections.  The  "Gegenstrom"  system 
is  in  use,  whereby  the  temperature  of  the  water  may  be  accurately  regulated,  and 
a  matron  is  in  daily  attendance. 

No  individual  accommodations  are  provided  for  the  boys,  the  showers  being 
grouped  in  a  space  about  ten  by  fifteen,  so  that  twelve  pupils  may  bathe  at  the 
same  time.  The  remainder  of  the  room  is  used  for  dressing  purposes,  an  oaken 
bench  running  along  two  sides  of  the  walls,  above  which  are  hooks  for  clothing. 
This  room  is  in  charge  of  the  janitor. 

Soap  and  towels  are  furnished  without  expense  to  the  pupils.  The  arrange- 
ments for  the  use  of  these  accommodations  are  such  as  to  afford  an  opportunity 
to  every  pupil  to  bathe  once  a  week  throughout  the  school  year,  and  this  is  not 
compulsory.  A  certain  time  for  bathing  is  assigned  each  class,  when  those  pupils 
who  so  desire  are  given  an  opportunity  to  avail  themselves  of  the  facilities  described. 

Pupils  in  the  grammar  as  well  as  the  primary  school  are  admitted  to  these 
privileges  with  the  exception  of  those  who  are  too  young  to  undress  and  dress 
themselves  without  considerable  assistance. 

The  providing  of  these  accommodations  is  largely  due  to  the  effort  of  Mr. 
Lewis  H.  Dutton,  the  principal  of  the  district,  who  earnestly  advocated  the 
proposition  to  place  baths  in  this  building  from  the  time  its  erection  was  first 
contemplated.  Between  125  and  150  pupils  bathe  daily,  and  the  success  of  the 
experiment,  as  it  was  termed,  seems  assured.  The  estimated  expense  of  con- 
ducting the  baths,  including  the  salary  of  the  matron,  soap,  towels,  laundry  and 
heat,  is  about  $85.00  per  month. 

The  author  has  been  favored  with  a  courteous  letter  dated 
March  17,  1900,  from  the  Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  of 
the  City  of  Boston,  Mr.  Edwin  P.  Seaver,  from  which  the  follow- 
ing paragraph  is  quoted: 

The  best  response  which  I  can  make  at  the  present  time  to  your  letter  of 
the  16th  inst.  seems  to  be  to  send  you  a  copy  of  the  annual  report  of  the  School 
Committee  of  this  city,  recently  issued,  on  pages  28,  29  and  30  of  which  you  will 
find  the  subject  of  baths  in  the  Paul  Revere  school  reported.  This  is  the  only 
priiited  information  I  have  within  reach  at  present.  Speaking  generally,  the 
results  of  these  baths  have  been  satisfactory.  I  think  they  would  be  more  so 
if  it  were  possible  to  put  the  children  into  clean  clothes  after  the  baths. 

In  New  York  City  the  report  of  the  Mayor's  Committee  on 
Public  Baths,  issued  in  April,  1897,  after  describing  the  German 
school  baths,  urged  their  hygienic  importance  and  stated  that 
the  cost  of  their  introduction  in  the  public  schools  would  be  incon- 
siderable. "The  basements  of  our  public  schools,  which  are  in 
many  cases  very  little  used,  are  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  establish- 


162  MODERN  BATHS  AND   BATH  HOUSES 


FIG.  68.     PLAN  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  IN  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AT  COLOGNE,  GERMANY. 


SCHOOL    BATHS  163 


ment  of  spray  baths  for  school  children.  Where  now  the  base- 
ment is  used  as  a  playground,  a  roof  garden  playground  may  be 
substituted  and  so  a  double  advantage  secured."  The  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Schools  expressed  himself  in  favor  of  the 
baths,  but  no  further  move  was  made  in  the  matter  until  quite 
recently.  I  learn  it  is  now  the  intention  to  introduce  baths  in 
some  of  the  new  school  buildings. 

The  general  requirements  of  school  baths  are  as  follows:  they 
should  be  cheap  in  construction  as  well  as  in  operation;  they 
should  be  of  such  form  and  arrangement  that  the  cleansing  of 
the  body  may  be  accomplished  in  the  least  time,  with  the  least 
quantity  of  hot  water,  and  in  a  small  space.  Both  the  bathroom 
and  the  dressing  rooms  must  be  well  heated,  free  from  dampness 
and  from  dangerous  draft,  and  be  thoroughly  well  ventilated 
and  lighted.  The  apartments  should  be  light,  clean  and  sani- 
tary throughout.  The  bathing  water  should  be  of  crystal-like 
clearness  and  purity.  The  children  should  be  made  to  feel 
comfortable  and  safe,  all  danger  of  scalding  should  be  excluded, 
all  steam  noises,  which  are  liable  to  frighten  children,  should 
be  avoided.  Plenty  of  time  should  be  afforded  for  undressing, 
washing  and  spraying,  drying  and  dressing,  for  boys  from  twenty 
to  twenty-five  minutes,  for  girls  about  half  an  hour.  As  the 
stream  from  a  vertical  shower  upon  the  head  is  felt  unpleasantly 
by  many  bathers,  the  sprays  should  be  set  inclined.  Participa- 
tion in  bathing  must  be  entirely  voluntary. 

The  zinc  pans,  originally  used  in  the  German  school  baths, 
were  soon  done  away  with.  It  was  found  to  be  much  better  to 
arrange  the  entire  floor  of  the  bathroom  with  a  pitch  to  a  floor 
cesspool,  or  gutter  with  waste  pipe  to  the  sewer.  The  placing  of 
several  children  under  one  large  shower  is  not  as  good  as  pro- 
viding separate  smaller  sprays  for  each  bather;  the  distance 
between  the  showers  should  be  from  2J  to  3  feet,  to  give  each 
child  plenty  of  freedom  in  the  movement  of  the  arms. 

In  the  plans  of  school  baths  accompanying  this  chapter,  Fig.  68 
and  Fig.  69  show  examples  of  school  baths  as  arranged  in  school- 
houses  at  Cologne  and  Munich.  It  will  be  noticed  that  entirely 


164  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


FIG.  69.    PLAN  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  IN  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AT  MUNICH,  GERMANY. 


SCHOOL    BATHS 


165 


FIG.  70.    PLAN  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  IN  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AT  WIESBADEN, 
GKRMANY  I  .*.        •*•  .*' 


166 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


separate  bathing  cells  are  provided  for  each  child  at  Cologne 
(Fig.  68),  while  in  the  Munich  school  (Fig.  69)  the  larger  children 
have  separate  spaces,  enclosed  with  curtains,  for  undressing.  It 


PIG.  71.    AUTHOR'S  PLAN  FOR  PROPOSED  SPRAY  BATHS  FOR  A  PUBLIC 
SCHOOL. 


would  seem  to  me  that  baths  like  those  shown  in  Fig.  70,  which 
illustrates  the  basement  of  a  school  in  Wiesbaden  and  like  Figs.  71 
and  73,  which  show  the  proposed  arrangements  of  school  baths 
for  larger  schools,  with  separate  bathing  accommodations  for 
boys  and  girls,  designed  by  the  writer,  are  far  preferable.  In 


SCHOOL    BATHS 


167 


both  of  these  the  bathroom  is  entirely  free  and  not  divided  into 
separate  apartments.  The  plan  of  the  Paul  Revere  school  in 
Boston  appears,  from  the  description,  to  be  a  compromise  between 
the  two  systems. 

A  general  bathroom  can  be  cleaned  much  better  and  quicker 
if  the  subdivisions  into  compartments  are  omitted.  I  also  hold 
that  the  educational  effect  of  having  the  children  undress  to- 


FIG.  72.    CROSS-SECTION  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  SCHOOL  SPRAY 
BATHS  AS  PER  PLAN  PIG.  71. 


gether  in  one  large  dressing  room  should  not  be  entirely  lost 
sight  of,  for  as  already  intimated  this  fosters  habits  of  neatness 
as  regards  the  under-garments.  For  the  older  girls  it  may  be 
desirable,  as  has  been  done  in  the  Boston  school,  to  provide 
simple  curtains  for  greater  privacy  in  dressing  and  undressing. 

Where,  in  a  co-educational  school,  separate  bathrooms  cannot 
be  provided  for  boys  and  girls,  the  bathing  may  be  so  arranged 
that  the  boys  and  girls  bathe  on  alternate  days. 

It  is  usual  to  have  the  children  bring  with  them  their  bathing 


168  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

towels,  combs  and  brushes,  but  soap  should  be  given  by  the 
school.  The  older  children  may  be  allowed  to  put  on  short 
bathing  tights  or  loin  aprons,  though  the  necessity  for  using 
these  hardly  exists.  It  is  desirable  to  arrange  a  suitable  clothes- 
drier  for  drying  the  towels  used  by  the  children.  The  bathing 
proper  should  not  last  more  than  from  five  to  ten  minutes;  the 
temperature  of  the  water  should  be  about  97°  to  98°  in  winter 
and  about  85°  in  summer.  It  is  well  to  provide  a  few  showers 
for  cold  water,  which,  as  already  recommended,  should  be  taken 
at  the  end  of  the  bath  as  a  protection  from  cold. 

This  chapter  does  not  intend  discussing  purely  technical  details, 
such  as  the  means  for  heating  the  bath  water  and  the  mixing 
apparatus  for  the  sprays.  I  present,  however,  in  Fig.  72,  an 
illustration,  showing  in  a  vertical  section  the  arrangement  of  a 
number  of  sprays  in  school  baths,  controlled  and  supplied  from 
one  mixing  apparatus. 

Fig.  73  shows  the  plan  of  another  rain  bath  planned  by  the 
author  for  use  in  public  schools.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  base- 
ment of  the  schoolhouse  contains  a  boiler  and  coal  room,  a 
janitor's  office  and  a  workshop.  The  girls'  staircase,  hall,  water- 
closets,  play  room,  wash  room,  dressing  room  and  spray  baths 
are  located  on  one  side,  while  the  opposite  side  of  the  building  has 
a  similar  arrangement  for  the  boys. 

The  two  bathrooms  are  placed  immediately  adjoining  the 
dressing  rooms.  Each  bathroom  is  fitted  up  with  eight  sprays, 
and  these  are  placed  in  one  row,  with  a  distance  of  three  feet 
from  center  to  center  of  each  shower. 

One  Gegenstrom  apparatus  supplies  eight  sprays  with  tepid 
water;  it  is  located  in  the  dressing  room,  and  is  intended  to  be 
operated  by  the  janitor  on  the  boys'  side  and  by  the  janitor's 
wife  on  the  girls'  side.  With  the  apparatus  provided,  the  sprays 
run  with  tepid  water  of  not  exceeding  110°  temperature,  and 
usually,  towards  the  end  of  the  bath,  a  colder  shower  is  admin- 
istered in  order  to  protect  the  children  from  catching  cold. 

Passing  on  to  the  objections  brought  forth  against  school  baths, 
these  may  be  said  to  come  largely  from  men  who  are  unfamiliar 


SCHOOL    BATHS 


169 


with  their  operation,  and  who  have  never  witnessed  the  bathing 
of  children  under  douches  of  tepid  water,  either  in  people's  or 
in  school  baths.  The  objection  arising  from  the  fear  that  the 


STEAM  BOILERS, 

FUEL  ROOM,  AND 

JANITOR'S  WORKSHOP 


FIG.  73.    AUTHOR'S  PLAN  FOR  PROPOSED  SPRAT  BATHS  FOR  A  PUBLIC 
SCHOOL. 

basement  of  a  schoolhouse  may  become  filthy  is  too  absurd  to 
deserve  further  notice.  It  is  sometimes  argued  that  bathing 
belongs  to  the  home,  and  not  to  the  school,  but  what  if  the  home 
is  not  provided  with  bathing  facilities  ?  And  again,  where  cleanli- 


170  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

ness  is,  perhaps,  taught  the  pupils  in  school  courses  on  Physiology 
and  Hygiene,  is  it  not  better  to  go  a  step  further  and  let  them 
learn  in  a  practical  way  cleanliness  and  neatness  in  the  school 
bath? 

Some  raise  the  objection  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  compel 
children  to  bathe,  but  experience  teaches  that,  although  bathing 
was  nowhere  made  compulsory,  the  largest  percentage  of  the 
children  —  90  per  cent  and  over  —  become  eager  to  have  a  bath 
at  least  once  a  week.  Others  fear  the  danger  of  exposing  the 
children  to  colds,  but  if  properly  carried  out,  bathing  in  schools 
is  less  dangerous  in  that  respect  than  bathing  in  the  people's 
bath  houses,  for  here  the  children  leave  the  building  immediately 
after  the  bath,  whereas  in  schools  the  bathing  can  be  arranged 
in  the  middle  of  the  morning  or  afternoon  studies,  and  not  during 
the  last  school  hour.  Others,  finally,  argue  in  favor  of  establish- 
ing and  maintaining  free  public  baths,  but  consider  school  baths 
unnecessary,  where  the  former  are  abundantly  provided.  Would 
it  not  be  more  sensible  to  arrange  the  school  baths  so  they  could 
be  used  after  school  hours  by  adults  like  the  public  baths,  by 
simply  providing  separate  outside  bath  entrances  in  schools  ? 

In  all  sections  of  this  country,  as  in  most  other  civilized  and 
progressive  countries,  great  attention  is  being  paid  to  school 
sanitation.  But,  though  much  care  is  here  devoted  to  lighting, 
ventilation  and  heating,  to  drainage  and  furniture  in  the  school- 
room, comparatively  little  attention  has  hitherto  been  paid  to 
the  requirements  of  bodily  cleanliness  of  the  pupils.  In  the  best 
modern  schoolhouses,  sanitarily  planned,  drained  and  ventilated, 
children  are  brought  together  who  may,  and  often  do,  carry  on 
their  bodies  and  in  their  clothing  the  germs  of  infection.  It  was 
this  very  observation  which  compelled  the  hygienist  Professor 
Fluegge,  of  Goettingen,  after  an  examination  of  the  healthful 
and  clean  school  interiors  of  his  city  to  exclaim:  "Of  what  good 
are  all  these  modern  sanitary  arrangements  when  dirty  children, 
with  disease  germs  lurking  on  their  bodies  or  in  their  clothes, 
are  brought  into  these  healthful  classrooms!" 

Now  that  the  introduction  of  school  baths  has  been  repeatedly 


SCHOOL    BATHS  171 


tried,  so  that  it  can  no  longer  be  called  an  experiment,  we  should 
not  listen  to  voices  which  would  deprive  the  children  of  an  ad- 
vantage the  influence  of  which  is  sure  to  be  far-reaching.  All 
such  attempts  at  blocking  sanitary  progress  in  school  hygiene 
should  be  discountenanced. 

Teachers  are  unanimous  in  asserting  that  school  baths  are 
beneficial,  that  they  foster  bodily  vigor,  brighten  the  minds  of 
the  pupils,  increase  the  interest  in  the  studies,  dispel  laziness, 
improve  the  air  of  class  rooms,  and  increase  neatness,  cleanliness 
and  decorousness,  as  well  as  the  general  health  and  happiness 
of  pupils. 

School  baths  are,  consequently,  destined  to  become  useful 
factors  in  the  welfare  of  the  present  and  coming  generations. 
May  the  day  not  be  far  off  when  every  American  public  school- 
house,  attended  by  the  children  of  the  poorer  classes,  is  fitted 
up  with  a  sufficient  number  of  spray  baths ! 


CHAPTER    XI 

BATHS  FOR  MILITARY  BARRACKS,  ARMORIES,  PRISONS, 
JAILS  AND  POLICE  STATIONS 

FOR  armories  and  military  barracks,  tub  baths  have  repeatedly 
been  tried  and  found  impracticable;  they  were  abandoned  largely 
because  of  their  expense.  While  soldiers'  swimming  baths  are 
excellent  in  affording  opportunities  for  bodily  exercise,  no  system 
is  so  well  adapted  for  military  buildings  as  the  rain  or  spray 
bath.  This  fact  became  apparent  many  years  ago;  in  fact, 
spray  baths  have  been  used  in  such  buildings  for  cleansing 
purposes  long  before  they  were  adopted  for  people's  bath  houses. 
Dr.  Dunal,  a  surgeon  in  the  French  Army,  Dr.  Bresgen  and 
Dr.  Muennich,  surgeons  in  the  German  Army,  and  Dr.  John 
S.  Billings,  late  of  the  United  States  Army,  introduced  or 
recommended  this  form  of  bath  and  expounded  the  advantages 
of  the  rain  bath. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  advantages  of  the  rain  or  spray  bath 
over  the  tub  bath  apply  also  to  the  bathing  of  prisoners.  In 
some  of  the  State  prisons  the  inmates  are  given  weekly  baths  by 
means  of  flexible  hose  or  hand  sprays.  The  fixed  overhead 
inclined  shower  is  a  vastly  better  arrangement,  for  two  reasons: 
first,  it  does  away  with  an  attendant  to  spray  the  prisoner;  second, 
a  fixed  spray,  under  wrhich  the  bather  places  his  body  voluntarily, 
does  not  give  rise  to  the  popular  belief,  which  results  from  the  use 
of  a  flexible  hand  spray  in  the  hands  of  the  attendant  or  prison 
keeper,  viz.,  that  the  prisoners  are  often  sprayed  with  cold  w^ater 
as  a  means  of  punishment. 

A  great  advantage  of  the  rain  bath  in  military  barracks  is  that 
it  permits  of  the  quick  bathing  of  large  numbers  of  soldiers.  The 
same  is  true  of  rain  baths  in  prisons. 

172 


BATHS   FOR   MILITARY   BARRACKS 


173 


The  plan,  shown  in  Fig.  74,  was  prepared  by  me  to  illustrate 
a  large  bath  house  adapted  for  military  barracks  and  prisons. 

The  bathroom  contains  four  rows  of  eight  baths  each,  or  32  bath 
units  in  all.  In  the  center  of  the  room,  at  the  two  side  walls, 


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and  also  at  the  wall  opposite  to  the  entrance,  there  are  provided 
six  rows  of  seats,  affording  a  total  seating  capacity  of  96  seats. 
Consequently  the  number  of  seats  is  to  the  number  of  sprays 
in  the  proportion  of  3  to  1.  The  bath  compartments  are  suitably 
numbered,  and  three  adjoining  seats  are  always  given  the  same 


174        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

number  corresponding  to  one  of  the  bathing  units.  Such  an 
arrangement  enables  the  quick  bathing  of  a  large  number  of 
soldiers  or  prisoners  in  the  following  way.  The  first  32  men 
undress  and  go  to  occupy  the  32  bath  compartments,  and  while 
they  bathe  under  the  sprays  the  second  set  of  32  men  occupy 
the  second  set  of  32  seats.  Now  the  first  set  of  men  leave  the 
baths  in  order  to  dress,  while  the  second  set  of  32  persons  take 
their  place  in  the  baths;  and  while  they  in  turn  bathe,  a  third  set 
of  men  occupy  the  third  set  of  seats  to  undress  and  get  ready  for 
the  bath.  As  soon  as  the  second  set  leaves  the  baths  to  dress, 
the  third  set  takes  their  place,  while  the  first  set  leaves  the  bath 
house,  and  a  fourth  squad  of  32  people  may  get  in  readiness  for 
the  bath. 

Allowing  twenty  minutes  for  the  bath,  the  capacity  of  this  bath 
house  is  3  X  32  =  96  baths  per  hour,  or  96  X  10  =  960  baths  per 
day.  The  size  of  the  bath  house  as  shown  is  about  50  feet  square, 
but  it  may  be  modified  to  suit  local  conditions. 

The  showers  are  supplied  from  two  large  Gegenstrom  apparatus, 
each  supplying  16  sprays,  and  each  being  operated  by  a  bath 
attendant. 

Each  bath  compartment  is  planned  to  be  4  feet  by  5  feet;  it  may 
be  separated  from  the  corridors,  if  privacy  is  desired,  by  means 
of  a  plain,  white,  duck  bath  curtain,  hung  in  front  of  the  compart- 
ment, but  as  a  rule  the  curtain  is  unnecessary,  and  in  certain  cases 
it  may  be  objectionable.  The  floor  of  each  bath  compartment 
is  pitched  to  a  gutter,  as  shown,  with  perforated  cover.  The 
level  of  the  corridors  is  slightly  raised  to  prevent  its  becoming  wet 
by  the  spray  when  a  bath  is  taken. 

The  lines  (x  x)  indicate  how  a  bath  house  arranged  on  this 
system,  but  only  half  as  large,  may  be  planned.  The  plan,  slightly 
modified,  is  also  applicable  to  school  baths. 

Fig.  75  illustrates  the  general  arrangement  of  the  baths  at  the 
Kings  County  penitentiary  in  Brooklyn,  N.Y.  This  bath  house 
is  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  any  penal  institution 
in  New  York  State.  The  baths  are  fitted  up  with  the  Gegenstrom 
system.  The  water  can  be  regulated  by  the  attendants  to  any 


BATHS  FOR  MILITARY   BARRACKS 


175 


FIG.  75.    VIEW  OF  SPRAY  BATHS  IN  KINGS  COUNTY  PRISON,  BROOKLYN. 

temperature  desired  and  forty  men  can  bathe  at  one  time.  There 
are  40  sprays  in  alberene  stone  compartments,  and  80  wooden 
dressing  booths  are  pro\7ided  for  the  men  to  undress  and  dress  in. 
In  this  way  a  large  number  of  men  can  bathe  in  a  short  time  and 
have  a  continuous  supply  of  clean  tepid  water.  Similar  baths 
exist  at  the  Erie  County  prison  in  Buffalo,  N.Y. 


CHAPTER     XII 

HOSPITAL  BATHS 

HOSPITAL,  trustees  or  managers  can  do  much  to  further  bathing 
habits  by  providing  ample  and  proper  bathing  facilities.  In 
hospitals  we  find  several  forms  of  baths  in  use,  such  as  the  fixed  and 
the  portable  bathtubs,  the  latter  being  placed  on  rollers  or  wheels; 
also  showers,  sudorific  and  hydrotherapeutic  baths,  electric  and 
carbonic  acid  gas  baths,  so-called  "permanent  water  baths," 
and  others.  For  the  baths  mentioned  a  special  bath  house  is 
usually  provided,  at  least  in  the  hospitals  of  European  cities. 
Some  modern  German  hospitals,  recently  visited  and  inspected 
by  the  writer,  like  those  at  Hamburg-Eppendorf,  the  Beelitz 
Sanitarium  near  Berlin,  the  municipal  hospital  at  Nuremberg 
and  the  Elizabeth  Hospital  of  Aix-la-Chapelle,  offer  fine  examples 
of  complete  modern  bath-house  installations. 

Tub  baths  are  an  expensive  form  of  bath,  and,  moreover,  they 
require  a  great  deal  of  space,  for  the  tubs  in  hospital  wards  must 
stand  entirely  free  on  the  floor  of  the  room,  so  that  the  nurse  or 
attendant  can  reach  the  patient  from  all  sides,  but  in  general 
hospitals  they  are  necessary  and  must  be  provided. 

For  that  particular  class  of  hospitals  where  the  various  forms  of 
insanity  are  treated,  i.e.,  in  cases  where  the  brain  only  is  diseased, 
while  the  body  may  be  in  a  healthy  state,  the  rain  bath  offers 
many  advantages.  This  view  of  the  writer  is  confirmed  by  the 
opinions  of  medical  hospital  superintendents.  Soon  after  the 
completion  of  several  of  the  earlier  rain  baths  in  New  York  City, 
I  published  a  monograph  on  "Rain  Baths,"  in  which  I  described 
these  baths.  At  the  special  request  of  the  president  of  the  New 
York  State  Lunacy  Commission,  I  sent  this  pamphlet  to  the 
superintendents  of  all  the  State  hospitals  in  New  York  State.  In 

176 


HOSPITAL    BATHS  •  177 


a  circular  of  inquiry,  sent  out  somewhat  later  by  the  New  York 
State  Commission  in  Lunacy  to  the  State  hospitals  for  insane, 
the  question  was  propounded:  "Have  you  a  spray  bath  in  opera- 
tion, and  do  you  regard  that  method  of  bathing  patients  with 
favor?" 

It  is  interesting  to  read  the  replies  received,  which  were,  on 
the  whole,  highly  favorable  to  the  new  method  of  bathing. 

The  superintendent  of  the  Utica  State  Hospital  replied:  "I  am  disposed  to 
regard  with  favor  the  method  of  bathing  patients  by  means  of  a  spray.  It  is  in 
successful  operation  in  three  wards  at  present,  and  will  be  extended  with  the  ex- 
tension of  facilities  therefor." 

The  superintendent  of  the  Buffalo  State  Hospital  replied :  "  We  have  no  spray 
bath  in  use,  but  are  putting  one  in.  I  think  it  can  be  used  with  success  with  a 
certain  class  of  patients." 

The  superintendent  of  the  Willard  State  Hospital  replied:  "We  have  a  spray 
bath  in  operation  and  regard  it  with  much  favor." 

The  superintendent  of  the  St.  Lawrence  State  Hospital  replied:  "We  have 
no  spray  bath  in  operation  in  the  wards.  I  should  not  consider  the  use  of  a  spray 
desirable  except  in  a  general  bathing  house  under  the  direction  of  an  independent 
and  responsible  man." 

The  superintendent  of  the  Rochester  State  Hospital  stated:  "The  spray  bath 
is  in  use  in  the  male  department.  It  is  my  opinion  that  it  is  the  best  method  for 
bathing  a  large  proportion  of  patients." 

The  superintendent  of  the  Matteawan  State  Asylum  for  Insane  Criminals 
stated:  "In  the  case  of  filthy  patients  who  require  frequent  bathing,  and  where 
numbers  of  them  are  associated  together,  I  should  regard  this  method  of  bathing 
with  great  favor.  I  should  consider,  also,  that  it  might  be  used  in  bathing  trouble- 
some patients,  who  might  be  injured  in  struggles  to  place  them  in  a  bathtub." 

The  superintendent  of  the  Willard  State  Hospital  later  on  wrote:  "Two  spray 
baths  have  been  in  use  for  several  months  past,  one  at  the  infirmary  for  men,  and 
one  at  the  infirmary  for  women.  In  both  buildings  their  use  has  been  attended 
by  the  most  gratifying  success.  In  my  opinion  the  'spray  bath'  has  four  distinct 
and  important  advantages  over  the  ordinary  tub,  viz.: 

"(1)  It  is  absolutely  safe.  There  is  no  possibility  of  scalding  a  patient,  and 
the  more  remote  danger  of  suicide  in  a  bathtub  is  also  overcome. 

"  (2)  Cleanliness  is  assured  and  the  temptation  offered  to  lazy  attendants  to 
bathe  more  than  one  patient  in  the  same  water  is  removed. 

"  (3)  A  great  amount  of  time  is  saved,  which  under  the  old  method  is  used  in 
filling  and  emptying  the  tub.  Our  experience  has  been  that  one  spray  will  do 
the  work  of  two  tubs  in  a  little  more  than  half  the  time. 

"  (4)  There  is  much  less  hot  water  used,  and  there  is  a  consequent  reduction 
in  the  amount  of  coal  consumed.  While  we  have  made  no  accurate  experiments 
in  this  respect,  my  opinion  is  that  the  saving  is  considerable." 


178        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  superintendent  of  the  Middletown  State  Hospital  writes  later  on  more 
fully  as  follows: 

"I  send  herewith  a  statement  concerning  a  new  method  of  bathing,  which 
has  been  inaugurated  at  this  hospital,  and  which  is  known  as  the  'spray  bath.' 
We  refitted  one  of  the  bathrooms  in  the  hospital  annex  as  follows:  A  marble  slab, 
about  5  feet  long  and  2£  feet  wide,  was  laid  near  the  center  of  the  room.  This 
slab  was  dished  and  countersunk,  with  a  waste  pipe  in  the  center  to  carry  off  the 
waste  water.  The  entire  floor  around  the  slab  was  laid  with  slate  upon  a  cement 
bed.  This  slate  was  graded  toward  the  center  of  the  room  in  order  that  all  waste 
would  speedily  pass  away.  The  sides  of  the  room  were  lined  with  marble  slabs, 
6  feet  in  height,  carefully  cemented  together.  This  made  a  water-tight  compart- 
ment, with  a  dished  floor,  thus  securing  perfect  drainage.  A  pipe  from  the  cold- 
water  supply  in  the  basement  was  brought  to  a  mixer,  and  a  hot-water  pipe  was 
brought  from  the  hot-water  tank.  This  mixer  is  supplied  with  valves  to  regulate 
the  influx  of  either  hot  or  cold  water,  and  is  also  supplied  with  a  thermometer 
to  register  the  temperature  after  the  water  is  mixed.  From  this  mixer  is  carried 
a  rubber  hose  about  6  feet  long.  At  the  end  of  the  hose  is  a  nickel-plated  spray, 
which  throws  out  a  series  of  fine  streams  of  water. 

"The  method  of  bathing  patients  is  as  follows:  Some  five  or  six  patients  are 
placed  in  a  row  upon  the  marble  slab,  which  has  been  warmed  by  spraying  it 
with  hot  water.  Each  patient  is  supplied  with  a  cake  of  soap,  and  the  attendant 
turns  on  the  stream,  having  carefully  observed  that  the  temperature  of  the  water 
is  right.  The  temperature  in  the  mixer  will  remain  at  about  100  degrees.  It 
is  probably  98£  degrees  Fahr.,  or  blood  heat,  when  it  reaches  the  surface  of  the 
person  that  is  being  bathed.  One  careful  attendant  can  spray  six  patients  at  one 
time,  and  about  five  minutes  are  spent  in  spraying.  After  being  thoroughly  soaped, 
rubbed  down  and  sprayed,  each  patient  is  furnished  with  a  clean  towel  to  dry 
himself.  As  soon  as  one  set  passes  out  of  the  bathroom  another  set  passes  in. 
Thus  about  60  patients  can  be  bathed  in  an  hour,  with  pure  and  correctly  tem- 
pered water  in  sufficient  abundance. 

"The  advantages  of  this  method  are: 

"  (1)  The  dangers  of  scalding  in  a  tub  are  avoided.  Even  if  the  water  in  the 
mixer  should  be  quite  hot,  it  inevitably  cools  to  a  certain  extent  before  it  can  reach 
the  body  of  the  patient. 

"  (2)  It  furnishes  clean  water  to  each  patient,  and  there  is  no  opportunity  for 
a  lazy  attendant  to  bathe  three  or  four  patients  in  the  same  tub  of  water.  • 

"  (3)  The  bath  seems  to  be  invigorating  and  exhilarating,  and  is  greatly  en- 
joyed by  all  the  patients. 

"This  form  of  bathing  furnishes  not  alone  an  opportunity  for  cleanliness,  but 
as  the  water  is  applied  with  fine  force  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  human  body, 
it  stimulates  to  healthful  action  all  the  nerve  extremities.  It  thus  seems  to  in- 
vigorate the  entire  system.  Thus  far  this  method  of  bathing,  which  is  new  to 
this  institution,  is  most  satisfactory  both  to  patients  and  attendants.  By  the 
old  method  of  bathing  only  five  or  six  patients  could  be  bathed  in  one  tub  per 
hour.  It  was  a  slow  and  tedious  process  of  drawing  the  water,  of  tempering  it, 
of  allowing  the  patient  to  bathe,  and  then  drawing  the  soiled  water  from  each 


HOSPITAL    BATHS  179 


tub  and  filling  it  again  with  fresh  water.  By  the  old  method  the  attendant  was 
obliged  to  endure  a  series  of  long  and  monotonous  waitings,  and  thus  he  might 
in  time  quite  naturally  become  careless  and  inattentive  to  duty.  But  the  new 
method  compels  the  close  attention  of  the  attendant  while  he  works,  but  his  task 
is  soon  and  satisfactorily  completed." 

From  the  above  extracts,  quoted  from  the  Third  Annual  Report 
of  the  New  York  State  Commission  in  Lunacy,  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  opinions  of  medical  men  are  highly  favorable  to  this  new  method 
of  bathing  patients.  It  should  be  noted  that  most  of  the  experi- 
ments were  made  with  hand  sprays,  but  to  all  practical  purposes 
the  inclined  spray  of  the  German  rain  bath  is  identical  in  action 
with  the  hand  spray. 

In  August,  1893,  Dr.  G.  Alder  Blumer,  then  medical  superin- 
tendent of  the  Utica  State  Hospital,  requested  the  writer  to  visit 
the  hospital,  with  a  view  of  preparing  a  report,  preliminary  plans, 
and  estimates  of  cost  for  the  fitting  up  of  a  congregate  bath  house 
with  rain  baths  for  the  patients.  The  general  scheme  submitted 
by  me  was  approved  by  the  hospital  managers  and  a  contract  let 
in  September  of  the  same  year.  In  August,  1894,  the  bath  house 
was  completed  and  put  in  use.  Tests  of  the  bathing  apparatus 
used  were  made  and  proved  the  work  to  be  in  every  wav  a  success. 

In  the  Fifty-second  Annual  Report  of  the  managers  of  that  insti- 
tution it  is  stated  that  "the  new  bath  house  marks  an  epoch.  .  .  . 
With  this  splendidly  equipped  spray  bath  (see  Fig.  76,  frontis- 
piece) patients  can  be  bathed  with  the  utmost  convenience,  safety 
and  dispatch.  It  is  destined  to  become  the  accepted  method  of 
bathing  the  insane  in  public  institutions."  In  the  report  of  the 
medical  superintendent,  Dr.  Blumer,  the  new  bath  house  is  thus 
described: 

The  crowning  glory  of  the  year  has  been  the  completion  of  the  general  bath 
house.  For  a  detailed  description  of  this  structure  the  attention  of  the  managers 
is  called  to  the  accompanying  elaborate  special  report  of  Mr.  Wm.  Paul  Gerhard, 
C.E.,  who  planned  the  work  and  superintended  its  execution.  Briefly  stated,  it  is 
the  so-called  "rain  bath,"  first  popularized  in  Germany,  which  substitutes  for 
the  ordinary  tubs  a  system  of  sprays  which  are  supplied  from  specially  constructed 
generators  with  warm  water.  To  Dr.  S.  Baruch,  of  New  York  City,  is  due  the 
credit  of  introducing  the  system  into  this  country.  His  pamphlet,  "A  Plea  for 


180  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

Public  Baths,"  published  in  1891,  was  followed  by  the  erection  of  a  rain  bath  at 
the  New  York  Juvenile  Asylum.  Others  on  a  larger  scale  followed,  some  of 
which  were  planned  and  designed  by  Mr.  Gerhard,  who  scattered  much  good 
seed  through  the  medium  of  his  pamphlets  on  "The  Modern  Rain  Bath."  The 
new  system  secured  the  immediate  indorsement  and  encouragement  of  the  State 
Commission  in  Lunacy.  A  copy  of  one  of  Mr.  Gerhard's  pamphlets  fell  into  my 
hands  and  led  to  the  engagement  of  the  author's  services  at  Utica.  Our  splendidly 
equipped  bath  is  the  result  of  that  engagement.  No  one  who  has  not  had  the 
opportunity  to  compare  practically  the  old  with  the  new  method  can  form  an  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  rain  bath  adapted  to  the  needs 
of  a  large  hospital  for  the  insane.  All  ward  bathing  is  now  a  thing  of  the  past, 
only  to  be  sanctioned  in  special  cases.  In  a  word,  the  rain  bath  is  an  ideal  method 
of  ablution. 

At  the  request  of  Dr.  Henry  M.  Kurd,  Secretary  of  the  Amer- 
ican Medico-Psychological  Association,  I  prepared  in  1895  a 
paper  dealing  with  the  rain  bath  and  its  advantages  for  hospitals 
for  insane  and  public  institutions  generally.  Many  reprints  of 
this  paper  were  distributed  to  hospital  superintendents  and  to 
architects  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States.  In  this  paper  the 
Utica  bath  house  is  described  and  illustrated,  and  as  it  is  of 
interest  generally  I  reprint  large  portions  of  it  herewith. 


THE  RAIN  BATH  —  A  NOVEL  FORM  OF  BATH  AND  NEW  METHOD 
OF  BATHING  INSANE  PATIENTS 

It  would  be  superfluous  on  my  part  to  attempt  to  dwell,  by  way 
of  introduction,  upon  the  necessity  of  absolute  cleanliness  in  insti- 
tutions where  large  numbers  of  patients,  ill  in  body  or  in  mind, 
or  both,  are  cared  for. 

The  requirement  of  cleanliness  is  not  confined  to  the  buildings 
and  their  surroundings,  to  the  air,  water  and  food  supply,  and  to 
the  maintenance  of  purity  of  the  soil,  but  it  applies  likewise,  and 
even  in  a  higher  degree,  to  bodily  cleanliness.  Therefore  no  pro- 
vision is  of  more  importance  for  institutions  than  that  of  proper 
bathing  facilities  for  the  patients.  Heretofore  this  object  has  been 
attained  by  the  fitting  up  of  bathtubs  in  bathrooms  attached  to 
the  wards  of  a  hospital.  The  method  of  bathing  patients  in  bath- 
tubs has  not,  however,  been  altogether  satisfactory. 


HOSPITAL    BATHS  181 


Among  the  more  important  objections  to  bathtubs  for  institu- 
tions, I  would  mention  the  following: 

1.  Zinc  and  copper  bathtubs  do  not  last  long,  become  dented, 
wear  out  soon,   and   lose  their   bright  and   cleanly  appearance. 
Enameled  iron  bathtubs,  unless  very  carefully  used,  are  apt  to 
have   the   enamel    coating   crack   or   chip   off.     Galvanized   iron 
tubs  have  a  rough  surface  and  a  dirty  appearance.     White  all- 
porcelain  bathtubs  are  very  heavy,  clumsy  and  quite  expensive, 
and  require  large  quantities  of  hot  water. 

2.  The  maintenance  of  bathtubs  and  bath  fittings  is  expensive. 
Tubs  also  require  much  space,  and  much  time  is  lost  in  filling 
them,  in  tempering  the  water,  in  bathing  the  patients,  and  after 
each  bath  additional  time  is  required  for  emptying,  cleansing  and 
scrubbing  the  tubs.     Consequently  they  do  not  accomplish  the 
quick  bathing  of  a  large  number  of  patients. 

3.  Unclean  patients,  taking  a  bath  in  a  tub,  are  soon  immersed 
in  soiled  water,  and  the  absolute  cleaning  of  the  body  would  be 
difficult  without  emptying  and  refilling  the  tub  several  times  for 
each  bather. 

4.  The  bathing  of  patients  in  tubs  has  occasionally  a  debili- 
tating instead  of  a  stimulating  effect. 

5.  Tub  baths  require  very  large  quantities  of  bathing  water, 
and  a  proportionately  large  amount  of  hot  water. 

6.  There  is   a   possibility  of  skin   diseases   being  transmitted 
from  one  patient  to  another.     With  troublesome  patients  it  may, 
at  times,  require  struggles  on  the  part  of  the  attendants  to  place 
them  in  a  bathtub,  and  these  struggles  may  lead  to  bodily  injury. 

7.  The  danger  of  scalding  patients  in  a  bathtub,  and  the  pos- 
sibility  of  suicide   of  insane   by   drowning,   render  the   bathtub 
undesirable  in  public  institutions. 

8.  With  bathtubs  lazy  attendants  have  an  opportunity  of  bath- 
ing several  patients  in  succession  in  the  same  water,  the  patient 
thus  failing  to  receive  clean  water  for  his  ablution. 

In  the  modern  rain-bath  system,  tubs  are  entirely  discarded, 
and  simple  shower  or  spray  baths  take  their  place,  the  spray  being 
installed  as  a  distinct  and  independent  form  of  bath. 


182  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  rain  bath,  particularly  as  a  form  of  public  bath,  had  its 
origin  in  Germany,  one  of  its  chief  advocates  being  Prof.  Dr.  Oscar 
Lassar.  The  Berlin  Health  Exhibition  of  1883  gave  an  oppor- 
tunity to  introduce  this  form  of  the  rain  bath  to  the  general  public, 
though  long  before  this  exhibition  rain  baths  had  been  fitted  up  in 
prisons  and  in  military  barracks  in  France  as  well  as  in  Germany. 

In  the  United  States  the  rain  bath  was  brought  to  the  notice  of 
the  engineering  profession  in  descriptions  which  appeared  in  the 
Engineering  Record  (then  the  Sanitary  Engineer};  it  was  recom- 
mended for  military  posts  in  a  circular,  issued  in  1875,  by  John  S. 
Billings,  assistant  surgeon,  U.S.A.,  and  was  again  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  medical  profession  in  an  article  on  "Recent  Advances 
in  State  Medicine,"  by  Dr.  George  H.  Rohe  of  Baltimore,  published 
July  2,  1887,  in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 
It  was  not,  however,  until  the  year  1889  that  rain  baths  attracted 
a  more  general  attention.  Dr.  S.  Baruch,  a  hydrotherapeutic 
physician  of  New  York  City,  who  had  an  opportunity  of  visiting 
and  inspecting  some  of  the  European  baths  built  on  the  new 
principle,  published  an  editorial  in  the  Philadelphia  Medical 
Times  of  Aug.  24,  1889,  dealing  with  the  subject. 

Leaving  out  of  consideration  a  small  bath  house  built  at  Man- 
istee,  Mich.,  on  the  rain-bath  principle,  referred  to  in  Dr.  Rohe's 
paper,  about  which  the  details  are  meager,  the  first  American 
rain  bath  to  attract  some  attention  was  installed  at  Dr.  Baruch's 
suggestion,  in  December,  1890,  at  the  New  York  City  Juvenile 
Asylum.  Dr.  S.  Baruch  continued  to  urge  the  importance  of 
bathing  and  the  need  of  people's  baths,  and,  partly  as  a  result  of 
his  agitation,  several  rain  baths  were  installed  in  1891  in  New 
York  City.  The  erection  of  similar  baths  soon  followed  in  other 
cities.  Hospital  superintendents  and  the  members  of  the  New 
York  State  Lunacy  Commission  became  much  interested  in  the 
subject,  the  latter  urging  the  adoption  of  the  novel  method  in  the 
State  hospitals,  in  which  several  experimental  spray  baths  were 
fitted  up.  Mr.  Goodwin  Brown,  of  the  same  Commission,  be- 
came much  interested  in  public  baths,  and  in  particular  the  rain 
bath,  and  to  him  belongs  the  credit  of  having  had  a  bill  introduced 


HOSPITAL    BATHS  183 


and  passed  in  the  Assembly  at  Albany,  giving  cities  and  towns  the 
authority  to  build  public  baths.*  I  might  add  that  the  opinions 
of  medical  men  who  have  investigated  the  rain  bath  are  highly 
favorable  to  the  new  method  of  bathing,  and  many  superintendents 
of  hospitals  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  it  the  best  method  of 
bathing  a  large  proportion  of  the  patients. 

In  August,  1894,  the  first  large  bath  house  fitted  up  entirely 
with  rain  baths  was  completed  at  the  Utica  State  Hospital.  Before 
giving  a  description  of  the  same,  I  will  briefly  discuss  the  form  and 
the  advantages  of  rain  baths. 

A  distinctly  novel  feature  of  construction  in  the  rain  bath  is 
the  inclination  at  w^hich  the  overhead  shower  is  placed,  the  object 
being  to  avoid  a  vertical  stream  from  it  striking  the  head  of  the 
bather.  In  the  rain  bath  the  lukewarm  water  strikes  the  body 
from  the  neck  downward,  and  the  head  is  kept  dry,  except 
when  the  bather  purposely  places  the  same  under  the  shower. 

In  the  experimental  baths  fitted  up  in  some  of  the  New  York 
State  hospitals  a  hand  sprinkler,  or  spray,  attached  to  a  rubber 
tube  was  used  instead  of  an  overhead  fixed  shower.  For  all  prac- 
tical purposes  the  inclined  spray  of  the  German  rain  bath  is 
identical  with  the  hand  spray,  but  the  latter  requires,  in  all  cases, 
the  services  of  an  attendant  for  each  patient,  whereas  many 
patients  in  hospitals  are  able  to  bathe  and  perform  their  ablutions 
under  the  overhead  inclined  spray  without  assistance.  The  general 
use  of  the  hand  spray  would  also  appear  to  me  to  be  objectionable, 
because  it  might  tend  to  give  to  the  public,  not  acquainted  with 
the  management  of  modern  hospitals  for  the  insane,  the  im- 
pression that  patients  are  at  times  sprayed  by  the  attendants 
against  their  wish. 

Regarding  the  many  advantages  of  the  rain  bath  I  will  only 
enumerate  the  following: 

1.  The  construction  of  rain  baths  is  cheaper  than  that  of 
bathrooms  fitted  with  bathtubs.  The  running  expenses  for 

*  NOTE.  —  Since  the  above  was  written,  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  New 
York  has  signed  a  bill  making  it  mandatory  upon  all  cities  in  the  State  having 
50,000  or  more  inhabitants  to  build  and  maintain  a  sufficient  number  of  free  baths. 


184        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

maintenance  and  repairs  are  likewise  reduced,  because  the  ap- 
paratus is  simple  and  not  liable  to  get  out  of  order,  and  because 
the  sprays  last  longer  than  the  tubs. 

2.  The  rain  bath  is  always  ready  for  use  and  requires  very 
little  attendance,   hence  it   is  economical   in   management.     No 
time  is  lost  in  filling  the  tubs,  tempering  the  water,  and  in  empty- 
ing, cleansing  and  scrubbing  the  tub  after  each  bath. 

3.  The  rain  bath  requires  much  less  time  in  application,  and 
a  larger  number  of  patients  can  be  bathed  in  this  system  than  in 
bathtubs. 

4.  The  rain  bath  requires  less  space  in  the  planning  of  a  bath 
house   than    bathtubs    do.     More    bathers    can,    accordingly,    be 
accommodated  in  a  given  space. 

5.  The   body  of  a  person  using  a  rain  bath  does  not  come  at 
all  in  contact  with  the  soiled  water,  the  water  from  the  spray  pass- 
ing away  through  the  outlet  in  the  floor  as  fast  as  delivered.     This 
should  be  considered  the  leading  advantage  of  rain  baths. 

6.  The  descending  stream  of  the  rain  bath  has  a  mechanical 
and  tonic  effect,  and  its  stimulating  and  invigorating  influence 
is  much  higher  than  that  of  a  bath  taken  in  a  tub. 

7.  The  rain  bath  requires  considerably  less  water  than  a  tub 
bath.     It  is  economical   in  the  requirement   of  hot  water,   and 
hence  reduces  the  expense  for  fuel. 

8.  In  the  rain  bath  there  is  less  danger  of  communicating  disease; 
there  is  no  danger  at  all  of  patients  being  scalded  or  receiving 
bruises  in  struggles  to  place  them  in  the  bathtub,  and  the  patients 
are  always  sure  to  be  bathed  in  clean  water,  while  the  opportunity 
of  committing  suicide,  as  in  a  bathtub,  is  entirely  removed. 

In  Europe,  rain  baths  have  been  eminently  successful,  and  in 
this  country  they  are  rapidly  becoming  popular.  The  advantages 
are  so  obvious  that  I  feel  confident  in  predicting  an  early  and 
successful  development  of  the  new  form  of  bath. 

The  following  is  a  condensed  illustrated  description  of  the 
bath  house  at  the  Utica  State  Hospital.* 

*  See  the  author's  pamphlet  on  "The  Rain  Bath  at  the  Utica  State  Hospital" 
(now  out  of  print). 


HOSPITAL    BATHS 


185 


FIG.  77.    PLAN  OF  BATH  HOUSE  AT  UTICA  STATE  HOSPITAL. 


186 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


The  bath  house  is  centrally  located  in  the  rear  of  the  large 
open  court  or  quadrangle,  between  the  amusement  hall  and  the 
boiler  house.  It  can  be  reached  from  the  male  and  female  wards 
without  the  necessity  of  compelling  the  patients  to  go  out  of 
doors,  a  consideration  of  much  importance  for  the  bathing  in 


-25161 


FIG.  78.    CROSS  SECTION  OF  BATH  HOUSE,  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT 
OF  SPRAYS. 

winter  time.     The  general  plan  and  arrangement  of  the   bath 
house  is  shown  in  Fig.  77. 

The  bathroom  proper  is  30  feet  long  and  25  feet  and  6  inches 
wide;  the  adjoining  dressing  room  is  21  feet  long  and  25*  feet 
wide.  There  are  separate  entrances,  stairs  and  vestibules  for 
he  men  and  women  patients. 

The  bathroom  proper,  as  shown  in  cross-section  in  Fig.  78  and 
n  view  in  Figs.  76  and  79,  contains  four  rows  of  overhead  sprays 


HOSPITAL    BATHS 


187 


188  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

and  hand  sprinklers.  In  the  center  of  the  bathroom  a  gutter 
is  arranged  for  the  removal  of  the  bath  waste  water,  the  floor 
on  both  sides  of  the  gutter  being  properly  pitched  to  allow  the 
water  to  run  off  freely.  Four  lines  of  warm-water  supply  pipes 
are  carried  at  a  height  of  about  eight  feet  above  the  floor,  the  two 
inner  lines  being  suspended  from  the  ceiling,  and  the  outer  two 
attached  to  the  side  walls.  Three  of  these  lines  supply  ten  in- 
clined sprays  each  (thirty  in  all),  while  the  fourth  line  supplies  a 
needle  bath  and  nine  hand  sprays.  The  bathroom  contains  eight 
large  windows,  and  is  thus  amply  lighted. 

The  dressing  room,  shown  in  cross-section  in  Fig.  85,  contains, 
on  the  side  nearest  to  the  bathroom,  the  four  warm-water  ap- 
paratus (see  Fig.  80),  also  a  water-closet  and  a  urinal.  On  the 
extreme  wall  of  the  bath  house  are  placed  forty-two  open  clothes 
boxes,  arranged  in  three  tiers  of  fourteen  boxes  each.  There  is 
also  in  one  corner  of  the  room  a  clothes  dumb-waiter.  Benches 
of  hardwood  are  placed  around  the  free  sides  of  the  room,  and 
two  long  benches  stand  in  the  center.  The  dressing  room  contains 
three  windows.  The  laundry  being  at  the  extreme  end  of  the 
bath  house,  it  was  decided  to  place  the  dressing  room  immediately 
adjoining  the  laundry.  But  for  this  fact  it  would  have  been 
preferable  to  reverse  the  location  of  the  bath  and  the  dressing 
room  in  the  plan,  placing  the  latter  nearest  to  the  wards. 

The  space  under  the  bath  and  dressing  rooms  was  excavated 
to  a  depth  of  five  feet.  The  main  floor  was  constructed  of  brick 
arches  and  I-beams,  supported  on  brick  piers.  A  concrete  foun- 
dation was  placed  on  top  of  the  brick  arches,  its  upper  surface 
being  graded  to  the  central  gutter.  The  floor  of  the  dressing 
room  is  pitched  slightly  to  two  floor  outlets.  The  floor  of  dressing 
room,  bathroom  and  of  vestibules  was  finished  with  American 
unglazed  embossed  white  and  pearl  gray  "Alhambra"  tiles, 
6  inches  square,  with  a  tile  border. 

The  walls  of  the  bathroom  are  wainscoted  with  white  Italian 
marble  to  a  height  of  6  feet  from  the  floor.  The  partition  divid- 
ing the  bathroom  and  the  dressing  room  is  of  marble,  1|  inches 
thick  and  7£  feet  in  height.  The  water-closet  and  the  urinal 


HOSPITAL    BATHS 


189 


190 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


are  also  enclosed  by  marble  partitions.  The  walls  of  the  dressing 
room  are  wainscoted  in  ash  to  a  height  of  6  feet.  All  woodwork 
in  this  room,  including  the  benches,  lockers  and  the  flap  doors, 
is  of  ash.  The  ceiling  of  bath  and  dressing  rooms  is  finished 
with  paneled  stamped  steel  sheets,  painted  with  ivory  color  special 
bath  enamel  paint. 

The  floor  gutter  in  the  bathroom  is  93,  inches  wide  at  the  top, 
6  inches  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  about  6  inches  deep.  (See  detail 
section,  Fig.  81.)  It  was  molded  in  concrete  and  has  three  out- 


FIG.  81.    DETAIL  OF  FLOOR  GUTTER. 

lets  to  which  the  gutter  is  pitched.  Each  outlet  is  covered  in  the 
bottom  of  the  gutter  with  a  5-inch  nickel-plated  brass  bar  strainer, 
and  is  connected  with  a  4-inch  waste  pipe,  trapped  by  an  iron 
trap  with  a  deep  water  seal.  The  gutter  proper  is  covered  with 
sectional  perforated  gratings  of  cast  brass,  laid  flush  with  the 
tiled  floor.  The  two  floor  outlets  in  the  dressing  room,  which 
are  only  used  when  the  floor  is  flushed  with  a  hose,  consist  of 
brass  cesspools  with  shut-off  valves  (like  Fig.  82),  trapped  by 
3-inch  iron  traps. 

The  sewerage  of  the  bath  house  is  arranged  substantially  as 
follows :  from  the  outside  main  sewer  in  the  court  a  6-inch  branch 
sewer  runs  into  the  bath  house.  This  extra-heavy  cast-iron  drain 


HOSPITAL    BATHS 


191 


pipe  has  a  6-inch  main  trap,  accessible  in  the  space  under  the 
bathroom,  and  a  4-inch  fresh-air  pipe.  From  the  6-inch  main 
are  branched  off  the  several  sub-mains  to  the  floor  outlets,  and 
to  the  plumbing  fixtures.  The  branch  for  each  gutter  outlet  is 
4  inches,  the  sub-main  for  these  is  5  inches,  while  another  5-inch 
sub-main  receives  a  4-inch  branch  from  the  water-closet,  and 
3-inch  branches  from  the  floor  cesspools,  the  urinal  and  the  waste 
outlet  from  the  needle  bath.  All  outlets  have  traps  provided 
with  brass  clean-outs.  The  drains  are  freely  ventilated  by  means 


FIG.  82.    DETAIL  OF  FLOOR  DRAIN. 


of  4-inch  galvanized  wrought-iron  ventilating  pipes  carried  above 
the  roof  of  the  bath  house.  All  cast-iron  pipes  are  put  together 
with  lead-calked  joints,  and  the  entire  drainage  system  was 
tested  by  filling  the  pipes  with  water. 

The  bathroom  is  fitted  up  with  thirty  overhead  nickel-plated 
brass  stationary  sprays,  standing  inclined,  and  with  nine  hand 
sprays.  These  latter  are  placed  on  the  wall  where  the  needle 
bath  stands,  and  are  intended  for  patients  who  require  the  assist- 
ance of  attendants  in  bathing.  The  sprays  first  obtained  were 
designed  to  run  seven  and  one-half  gallons  per  minute  (under 
twenty-five  pounds  water  pressure).  The  warm- water  apparatus, 
obtained  from  Germany,  was  designed  to  run  but  two  and  one-half 


192 


MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


gallons,  and  with  the  same  were  sent  special  sprays  (see  Fig.  83), 
with  much  finer  holes,  giving  a  very  effective  and  pleasant  spray, 
at  the  same  time  being  less  wasteful  of  water.  The  sprays  stand 
inclined  at  such  an  angle  that  the  water  strikes  the  bather  from 


PLAN  OF  FACE  OF  DOUCHE 

PIG.  83.    DETAIL  OF  SPRATS. 

the  neck  downward.     The    swivel    joint    (Fig.   84)    was  made 
specially  for  this  work. 

The  single  needle  bath  is  a  combination  needle,  shower,  liver 
spray,  and  bidet-jet  bath,  intended  for  special  use.  It 'has  a  large 
open  plated  brass  floor  strainer,  and  is  enclosed  with  marble  par- 
titions 6  feet  high.  In  front  there  is  a  white  rubber  curtain  hung 
from  a  nickel-plated  brass  pole.  The  toilet  fixtures  require  no 


HOSPITAL    BATHS 


193 


special  description.  In  the  dressing  room  two  f-inch  plated  sill- 
cocks  are  provided  for  hose  connection,  to  enable  the  attendants 
to  wash  the  floor  of  the  room,  the  waste  water  passing  out  through 


FIG.  84.    DETAIL  OF  SWIVEL  FOR  SPRATS. 


the  two  brass  floor  cesspools.  There  are  also  provided  two  lines 
of  3-inch  fire  standpipes  with  outlets  for  fire  valves  on  second  floor, 
in  the  staircase  and  in  the  clothes  assorting  room.  The  fire  valves 


194 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


are  2J  inches  in  diameter  and  have  50  feet  of  unlined  linen  fire 
hose  attached,  supported  in  swinging  hose  racks. 

The  dressing  room  is  provided  with  sufficient  benches  to  accom- 
modate forty  patients.  Cork  mats  were  laid  on  the  floor  of  the 
dressing  room  to  keep  the  floor  dry  and  the  bathers'  feet  warm. 
In  the  bathroom  a  long  bench  was  placed  in  the  center  of  the 
room  to  enable  the  bathers  to  sit  down  while  washing  their  feet. 


FIG.  85.     CROSS-SECTION  OF  BATH  HOUSE,  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT 
OF  HOT  WATER  APPARATUS. 

All  piping  in  the  bathroom  and  at  the  warm-water  apparatus 
is  of  tinned  and  annealed  brass  pipe.  The  sizes  of  supply  pipes 
are  as  follows:  the  water  main  to  the  bath  house  is  a  4-inch  pipe 
of  galvanized  wrought  iron,  with  3-inch  branches  to  each  fire  stand- 
pipe,  and  with  2-inch  branches  to  each  of  the  four  warm-water 
apparatus,  controlled  by  valves  (see  Fig.  85).  The  sill-cocks  are 
supplied  by  f-inch  pipes,  the  flush  tanks  of  the  urinal  and  water- 
closet  by  |-inch  pipes.  The  four  warm-water  mains  of  brass  are 


HOSPITAL    BATHS  195 


each  2  inches  in  diameter,  with  2-inch  by  f-inch  Tee  branches;  the 
piping  to  each  spray  is  f  inch.  The  warm-water  supply  to  the 
needle  bath  is  one  inch. 

The  steam  supply  pipe  to  the  warm-water  apparatus  is  a  2-inch 
high-pressure  main  (with  60  pounds  steam  pressure),  having 
1-inch  branches  to  each  apparatus,  controlled  by  globe  valves. 
The  return  pipe  for  condensed  steam  from  each  apparatus  is 
|  inch. 

The  bath  and  dressing  rooms  are  heated  from  overhead  steam 
pipes  to  avoid  placing  radiators  where  patients  would  be  in  danger 
of  scalding  themselves.  Large  steam  mains  pass  through  the 
excavation  under  the  bath  house,  and  the  heat  radiating  from 
these  pipes,  which  are  not  covered,  is  intended  to  impart  warmth 
to  the  tiled  floor,  so  as  to  prevent  the  bathers'  feet  from  being 
chilled.  The  vestibule,  stairs  and  connecting  corridors,  leading 
to  the  wards,  are  heated  so  as  to  prevent  patients  from  catching 
cold  when  returning  to  the  wards  after  the  bath. 

Ventilation  of  the  bath  house  is  accomplished  by  two  large  vent 
flues  having  registers  at  the  ceiling  of  the  dressing  room  and  of 
the  bathroom,  which  flues  are  extended  upward  through  the  roof. 
In  daytime  the  bath  house  is  amply  lighted  by  the  windows, 
which  have  panes  of  glass  rendered  opaque  to  secure  privacy. 
The  bath  house  is  also  wired  for  incandescent  electric  lamps 
suspended  from  the  ceiling. 

All  general  requirements  of  sanitation  have  been  strictly  ob- 
served in  the  arrangement  and  construction  of  the  bath  house. 
The  sewerage  is  arranged  with  particular  care.  All  outlets  into 
the  sewer  system  are  safely  trapped,  the  drains  are  amply  ven- 
tilated and  flushed  by  the  large  quantity  of  bath  water,  the  water- 
closet  and  urinal  are  of  the  best  available  type  for  hospital  use, 
and  the  whole  plumbing  system  has  been  made  tight  and  tested. 

On  account  of  its  simplicity  in  construction  and  efficiency  in 
action,  the  writer,  with  the  approval  of  the  medical  superintend- 
ent, selected  the  Schaffstaedt  "Gegenstrom"  apparatus,  and 
four  heaters  were  accordingly  imported  from  Germany.  Each 
heater  was  designed  and  calculated  to  supply  warm  water  of  not 


196        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

to  exceed  110°  Fahr.  for  ten  sprays,  running  each  at  the  rate  of 
2J  gallons  per  minute  under  25  pounds  pressure.  These  Gegen- 
strom  apparatus  were  the  first  apparatus  of  this  kind  used  in  the 
United  States.  Fig.  86  shows  a  front  and  side  elevation  of  this 
apparatus.  A  is  the  inlet  for  cold  water,  B  the  inlet  for  steam, 
C  the  warm-water  outlet  pipe  leading  to  the  sprays,  D  the  outlet 
pipe  or  return  pipe  for  the  condensed  steam.  E  is  the  cold-water 
cock  and  F  the  steam  cock.  G  is  a  hot- water  thermometer  graded 
to  indicate  up  to  220°  Fahr.  The  principal  dimensions  of  the 
apparatus  are  figured  in  the  illustrations  and  in  the  cross-section 
of  the  dressing  room  the  complete  piping  of  the  warm-water 
apparatus  is  shown.  So  far  as  known  to  me  this  apparatus  has 
worked  well  for  many  years. 

Fig.  76  shows  a  view  in  the  bathroom,  looking  towards  the 
dressing  room,  with  all  the  sprays  running.  It  shows  the  gutter 
in  the  center  of  the  tiled  floor,  covered  by  the  brass  sectional 
grating.  In  the  right-hand  corner  of  the  picture  is  shown  the 
needle  bath.  The  marble  partition  at  the  end  of  the  bathroom 
separates  the  bathroom  from  the  dressing  room.  The  view  gives 
a  very  good  idea  of  how  the  overhead  piping  was  arranged  and 
carried. 

Fig.  79  is  another  view  of  the  bathroom,  looking  toward  the 
opposite  side  or  to  the  entrances  from  the  wards.  In  this  case 
the  sprays  are  not  in  operation. 

Fig.  80  is  a  view  of  the  dressing  room,  looking  toward  the  marble 
dividing  partition  between  the  bath  and  dressing  rooms.  It  shows 
the  four  Gegenstrom  apparatus  placed  in  position  with  their  con- 
necting piping.  Through  the  open  door  are  seen  some  of  the 
inclined  sprays  in  the  bathroom.  The  view  gives  a  very  good 
idea  of  how  the  warm-water  apparatus  is  fitted  up.  The  four 
cold-water  pipes  pass  up  through  the  tiled  floor  to  the  right  of 
each  apparatus  and  are  controlled  by  angle  valves  before  entering 
at  the  bottom  of  the  warm- water  apparatus.  The  straight  up- 
ward continuation  of  the  apparatus  represents  the  warm-water 
pipe,  the  two  end  ones  turning  to  the  right  and  left,  while  the  two 
middle  ones  go  out  straight  to  the  bathroom.  The  lower  of  the  two 


HOSPITAL  BATHS 


197 


FRONT  ELEVATION  SIDE  ELEVATION 

FIG.  86.     DETAILS  OF  LARGE  "  GEGENSTROM  "  HOT  WATER  APPARATUS. 


198 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


ceiling  pipes  is  a  high-pressure  steam  main,  which  has  four  over- 
head branches,  dropping  to  each  of  the  four  apparatus.  The 
valve  which  controls  the  steam  supply  is  placed  to  the  right  of 
each  apparatus  as  shown. 

Allowing  five  minutes  for  undressing,  fifteen  minutes  for  soap- 
ing, spraying  and  drying,  and  ten  minutes  for  dressing,  each  bath 
would  occupy  thirty  minutes'  time;  hence,  as  there  are  thirty-nine 
sprays,  seventy-eight  patients  can  be  bathed  with  comfort  in  one 
hour,  or  hi  five  hours  per  day  390,  or  about  400  persons.  The 
amount  of  water  used  for  each  bather  would  be  in  ten  minutes 


FIG.  87.    PLAN  OF  BATH  HOUSE  AT  THE  KING'S  PARK  STATE  HOSPITAL,  L.  I. 

about  25  gallons,  or  25  X  78  =  1,950  gallons  per  hour,  or  9,750 
gallons  in  five  hours  for  bathing  390  patients. 

Fig.  87  shows  the  plan  of  another  congregate  bathroom,  in- 
tended for  the  bathing  of  insane  patients  at  the  Long  Island  State 
Hospital  at  Kings  Park,  L.I.  The  general  plans  for  the  building 
were  prepared  by  the  State  architect,  while  the  author  planned 
and  laid  out  the  bathroom  and  directed  its  installation  and  equip- 
ment from  beginning  to  the  finish. 

The  bath  house  is  a  centrally  located  structure  which  can  be 
conveniently  reached  from  all  hospital  wards.  It  is  divided  by 
a  central  wall  into  a  large  open  dressing  room,  furnished  with 


HOSPITAL  BATHS  199 


bench  seats  and  lockers,  and  an  irregularly  shaped  bathroom, 
with  floor  gutters  and  with  fourteen  overhead  rain  sprays  and 
three  hand  sprays.  There  is  a  toilet  room  just  off  the  dressing 
room,  containing  two  water-closets  and  one  urinal.  I  regret  not 
being  able  to  furnish  any  interior  views  of  this  successful  bath 
house. 

In  the  many  years  during  which  the  author  acted  in  the  capa- 
city of  consulting  sanitary  engineer  to  the  State  architect,  he 
superintended  the  installation  of  a  number  of  other  smaller  spray 
bathrooms  at  the  hospitals  for  insane  located  at  Gowanda,  Bing- 
hamton,  Willard,  Poughkeepsie  and  Middletown,  N.Y. 

All  general  hospitals  should  have  a  spray  bath  fitted  up  for  the 
use  of  the  firemen  and  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  mechanical 
plant. 

In  disinfecting  stations  of  European  hospitals  it  is  usual  to 
provide  a  rain  bath  for  the  employees  who  work  in  this  depart- 
ment.* 

A  plan  for  a  hospital  bath  house,  on  the  lines  of  the  one  adopted 
for  the  Utica  hospital,  but  of  smaller  capacity  and  intended  for 
the  congregate  bathing  of  twenty  patients,  is  shown  in  Fig.  88. 
It  may  be  said,  incidentally,  that  this  plan  is  equally  suitable 
for  a  prison  bath.  The  dressing  room  is  kept  separate  from  the 
bathroom  and  has  no  private  dressing  compartments,  but  if 
required  it  can  easily  be  modified  in  this  respect- by  the  addition 
of  a  few  partitions. 

The  dressing  room  measures  about  20  by  25  feet,  while  the 
bathroom  is  a  trifle  larger,  namely,  25  feet  each  way.  The  dress- 
ing room  should  have  accommodations  for  forty  patients,  for  in 
this  way  considerable  time  may  be  saved  in  bathing  the  patients; 
the  first  twenty  may  bathe  while  the  second  squad  of  twenty 
undress. 

The  sprays  are  of  the  usual  type  and  are  placed  on  three  sides 
of  the  bathroom.  A  needle  and  shower  bath  is  also  provided. 

The  sprays  are  supplied  with  water  of  the  right  temperature 

*See  the  author's  work,  "Sanitation  of  Public  Buildings,"  published  in  1907 
by  John  Wiley  &  Sons. 


200 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


FEMALE  WARD 


'    '    '  J    i    i    i     i    i    i    i    i     i         i    i 
10  15  20  FEfcT 

FIG.  88.    AUTHOR'S  PLAN  FOR  PROPOSED  HOSPITAL  BATH  HOUSE. 


HOSPITAL  BATHS  201 


for  bathing  by  three  Gegenstrom  apparatus,  which  are  to  be 
operated  by  the  attendants.  The  floors  of  both  rooms  are  intended 
to  be  tiled  and  the  walls  lined  with  marble  or  faced  with  enamel 
brick.  The  waste  water  from  the  showers  is  removed  to  the 
sewer  by  means  of  the  three  gutters,  which  are  covered  with 
perforated  covers.  The  capacity  of  such  a  bath  house  is  sixty 
baths  per  hour,  or  600  baths  in  ten  hours.  If  each  of  the  sprays 
runs  for  ten  minutes,  the  water  consumption  would  amount  to 
15,000  United  States  gallons  of  water  of  110°  Fahr.  per  day. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

BATHS  FOR  CLUBHOUSES,  GYMNASIUMS,  HOTELS  AND 
BARBER  SHOPS 


CLUBHOUSES  are  usually  furnished  with  bathing  facilities  in 
the  shape  of  bathtubs,  which  should  always  be  provided  with 
rain  spray  in  the  manner  described  in  Chapter  V,  dealing  with 
baths  for  private  houses.  Clubs  devoted  to  athletic  sports  have, 

of  course,  a  number  of 
shower  baths,  and  it  is 
not  unusual  for  them 
to  have  also  provided  a 
regular  natatorium  or 
plunge. 

School  gymnasia  re- 
quire, as  an  adjunct  to 
bodily  exercise  and  gym- 
nastics, both  a  swim- 
ming pool  and  cold  or 
tepid  showers.  Fig.  89 
gives  an  interior  view  of 
the  shower  baths  for 
boys  at  the  East  Boston 
Gymnasium. 

In  the  large  American 
cities  it  is  customary  to  provide  in  the  principal  hotels,  as  well 
as  in  the  better  class  of  barber  shops,  bathing  facilities,  these 
being  intended  to  a  large  extent  for  the  use  of  the  traveling 
public.  In  the  past,  bathtubs  of  various  materials  and  fittings 
have  been  fitted  up  and  installed  for  this  purpose.  Inasmuch 
as  the  cleansing  of  the  skin  is  the  chief  consideration  and 

202 


FIG.  89.     VIEW  OF  SHOWER  BATHS  FOR  BOYS' 
GYMNASIUM. 


BATHS  FOR  CLUBHOUSES.   ETC. 


203 


object  of  such  baths,  the 
new  form  of  tepid  rain  or 
spray  bath  appears  to  me  to 
be  eminently  well  adapted 
for  the  purpose. 

A  plan  of  such  a  barber 
shop,  fitted  up  with  eight 
spray  baths,  is  shown  in 
Fig.  90.  The  details  of 
each  bath  compartment 
would  be  substantially  the 
same  as  those  shown  in 
Fig.  9.  In  the  illustration 
it  is  assumed  that  the  bar- 
ber shop  is  located  on  a 
lot  of  irregular  shape.  Ad- 
joining the  barber  shop 
proper  is  a  commodious 
waiting  room,  fitted  up  with 
a  reading  table,  chairs  and 
bench  seats  for  the  cus- 
tomers who  are  obliged  to 


BARBER  SHOP 


b 


FIG.  90.    PLAN  OF  BARBER  SHOP  SPRAT  BATHS. 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


wait  for  a  bath.  The  eight  sprays  should  be  in  charge  of  a 
special  attendant,  who  would  also  look  after  the  hot-water  heating 
apparatus,  which  might  be  placed  in  the  rear,  in  the  room 
marked  "Laundry  and  Drying-room." 

With  regard  to  baths  for  hotels,  it  should  be  mentioned  that 
some  hotels  at  summer  resorts  are  provided  with  regular  swim- 
ming pools.  An  example  of  this  kind  of  bath,  consisting  of  a 
covered  swimming  pool  at  the  Hotel  Mount  Washington  at  Bretton 
Woods,  N.H.,  is  mentioned  in  the  next  chapter. 

The  modern  spray  or  rain  bath,  described  in  the  preceding 
chapters  of  this  work,  is  also  pre-eminently  adapted  to  the  needs 
of  the  cheaper  lodging  houses.  As  a  rule,  lodging  houses  are 
provided  with  tubs  which  have  only  a  cold-water  supply.  These 
are,  of  course,  not  a  strong  inducement  to  the  people  patronizing 
such  places  for  taking  a  cleansing  bath.  But  even  where  hot- 
water  service  is  installed,  the  tub  baths  are  not,  as  a  rule,  attractive. 
As  one  sociological  report  states,  "The  tubs  are  never  cleaned, 
judging  from  their  appearance."  Perhaps  they  are  best  de- 
scribed in  the  words  of  one  of  the  guests  of  a  lodging  house,  who 
said,  "It  is  bad  enough  to  have  to  sleep  in  a  lodging  house  without 
having  to  use  their  tubs." 

I  would  be  strongly  in  favor  of  giving  the  Board  of  Health 
sufficient  power  to  order  the  removal  of  all  tubs  from  lodging- 
houses  and  the  substitution  in  their  place  of  clean,  inviting  and 
economical  rain  or  shower  baths. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

RIVER  AND  SEA  BATHS 

RIVER,  lake  and  sea  baths  are  patronized  in  summer  time  by 
the  masses  from  large  cities  because  during  hot  weather  the  body 
cannot  readily  give  off  its  heat.  The  cool  water  draws  out  the 
surplus  heat  from  the  body,  and  thus  refreshes  and  tones  up 
the  system. 

In  the  case  of  sea  baths  the  beneficial  effects  are  due  to  a  number 
of  other  factors,  such  as  the  composition  of  the  sea  water,  the 
invigorating  shock  caused  by  the  impact  or  mechanical  pressure 
of  the  waves  upon  the  body,  the  exercise  in  the  open  air,  and 
the  breathing  of  the  pure  ocean  breezes.  Thus  sea  bathing  has 
come  to  be  considered  an  important  aid  to  the  preservation  of 
health,  and  even  warm  sea-water  baths,  taken  in  tubs,  are  some- 
times of  much  benefit  to  the  constitution  of  weaker  persons  .who 
cannot  endure  the  surf  baths. 

The  choice  of  location  for  both  river  and  sea  baths  depends 
upon  a  number  of  factors,  such  as  the  character  of  the  water, 
its  degree  of  cleanliness,  its  current,  the  shape  of  the  river  banks 
or  the  condition  of  the  beach. 

Baths  situated  upon  the  banks  of  a  river  should  preferably  be 
located  above  the  city  or  town,  or  at  least  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  outfalls  of  city  sewers,  away  from  garbage  dumps, 
and  remote  from  any  drains  or  surface  ditches  which  carry  away 
the  wastes  from  industrial  establishments,  chemical  factories, 
gas  works,  etc.  The  immense  river  bath  of  the  city  of  Vienna 
is  on  the  newly  canalized  stream,  two  miles  from  the  city  proper, 
and  the  baths  of  Paris,  on  the  river  Seine,  though  located  in  the 
center  of  the  city,  are  safe  from  sewage  contamination,  because 
the  sewage  is  carried  by  intercepting  sewers  to  a  point  several 

miles  below  the  city. 

206 


206 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


The  chief  point  of  difference  between  river  or  ocean  swimming 
baths  and  public  swimming  baths  in  cities  is  that  the  place  for 
the  bathers  and  swimmers,  the  pool,  is  open  in  the  former,  while 
it  is  covered  over  in  the  latter.  The  open  baths  are  either  con- 
structed stationary,  or  they  are  floating  baths;  in  both  cases 
they  can  be  used  by  the  public  only  during  the  summer  season. 


PIG.  91.    VIEW  OF  SEA  BATHING  Box,  AS  USED  AT  OSTEXD,  BELGIUM. 

Instead  of  an  artificially  made  pool  or  tank,  as  in  the  city  baths, 
a  river  or  an  inlet  from  the  same  or  the  sea  at  a  natural  beach 
constitute  the  bathing  place. 

In  locating  ocean  and  surf  baths  it  is  well  to  choose  a  locality 
outside  of  the  harbor  proper,  where  the  sea  water  is  more  pure, 
where  the  beaches  are  sandy  or  gravelly,  clean  and  not  defiled 
by  city  garbage,  where  there  are  no  treacherous  currents  or 
dangerous  undertow,  and  where  the  beaches  are  free  from 
pebbles  or  larger  stones.  A  hard  sandy  beach,  with  a  very  grad- 
ual descent  into  deeper  water,  forms  the  best  bathing  ground. 
The  pollution  of  the  beach,  either  by  sewer  outfalls  from  sea- 
shore hotels,  or  by  city  garbage  dumped  into  the  sea  too  near 


RIVER  AND  SEA  BATHS 


207 


to  the  shore  and  cast  up  by  the  waves  and   the  tides,  must  be 
prevented. 

River,  lake  and  sea  baths  are  the  least  expensive  form  of  bath, 
and  they  generally  require  simple  architectural  structures,  though 
there  are  some  examples  of  more  pretentious  structures,  such  as 
the  Sutro  baths  near  San  Francisco,  and  the  Revere  Beach  baths 


FIG.  92.    VIEW  OF  BATHING  BEACH  AT  SCHEVENINGEN,  HOLLAND. 

near  Boston.  Many  examples  of  plain  beach  baths  are  found  in 
Chicago,  Baltimore,  Cleveland,  Detroit,  Milwaukee  and  Boston. 

For  sea  and  surf  bathing  it  is  not  usual  to  provide  a  swimming 
bath,  but  there  are  some  ocean  baths  which  have  both  the  dress- 
ing pavilion  and  the  swimming  bath  enclosed.  Such  structures 
are  erected  either  on  piles  or  on  floats  or  pontoons. 

The  structures  are  of  three  kinds,  viz.,  first,  simple  movable 
cabins,  or  bathing  machines  for  one  or  two  persons,  set  on  wheels 
and  drawn  up  or  down  on  the  beach,  such  as  those  used  at  the  sea- 
side resorts  of  Belgium,  Holland  and  France,  which  may  be  seen 
at  Ostend,  Blankenberghe,  Scheveningen,  Noordwijk,  Katwijk  and 
Zantvoord,  and  of  which  Figs.  91  and  92  present  good  illustrations. 


208  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  bathhouses  on  wheels  appear  in  Fig.  92  in  the  distance, 
while  the  beach  in  front  is  dotted  with  queer-looking  wicker 
chairs,  provided  with  hoods  as  a  protection  against  the  sun  and 
the  winds. 

In  other  cases  the  dressing  cabins  are  stationary,  and  built  in 
long  rows  or  groups  immediately  in  front  of  the  beach,  but  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  highest  known  tides.  Examples  of  these  may  be 
seen  at  many  of  the  American  coast  bathing  resorts. 

An  elaborate  example  of  a  surf  bath  house  is  the  Revere  Beach 
bath  house,  erected  in  1897  by  the  Board  of  Metropolitan  Park 
Commissioners  of  the  City  of  Boston,  at  a  cost  of  over  $100,000. 
It  consists  of  immense  permanent  buildings  intended  to  furnish 
accommodations  and  necessary  conveniences  for  surf  bathing. 
In  the  center  is  the  administration  building,  of  brick  and  terra 
cotta,  two  stories  in  height  and  80  feet  by  75  feet  in  size.  At  the 
right  and  the  left  of  the  center  building  are  the  yards  containing 
the  dressing  rooms.  The  yards  are  enclosed  on  the  beach  front 
by  brick  walls;  at  the  rear  there  are  bicycle  storage  sheds.  The 
dressing  rooms  are  of  wood,  with  tar  and  gravel  roofs,  and  there 
are  two  tiers  of  these.  The  bath  yard  for  men  is  165  feet  by  93 
feet  and  contains  602  dressing  rooms;  the  one  for  women  is  165 
feet  by  67  feet  and  holds  402  dressing  rooms.  The  size  of  each 
dressing  room  varies  from  4  feet  by  6  feet  to  4  feet  by  4|  feet. 
Each  room  is  furnished  with  seat,  hooks  and  mirror.  Plenty  of 
fresh-water  showers  are  also  provided.  The  first  floor  of  the 
administration  building  contains  the  offices  where  the  bath  tickets 
are  issued;  also  an  office  for  the  distribution  of  bathing  suits,  and 
a  room  for  the  deposit  of  valuables;  there  are  also  retiring  rooms 
and  storage  rooms  for  bathing  suits.  The  basement  contains  the 
boiler  room,  coal  bins,  general  storage,  and  toilet  room,  also  a 
hospital  room.  The  second  floor  contains  the  well-equipped 
laundry,  an  office,  repair  and  linen  room  and  employees'  toilets. 

Constructions  similar  to  those  for  ocean  baths  are  adopted  for 
river  baths.  They  consist  of  a  series  of  dressing  cabins,  built  on 
the  shore,  with  the  bathing  place  open  and  direct  in  front  of  them, 
or  else  river  baths  are  built  on  a  floating  dock,  or  pontoon, 


RIVER  AND  SEA  BATHS 


anchored  in  the  stream,  with  cabins  arranged  on  the  four  sides, 
as  shown  in  the  illustrations,  Figs.  93  and  94. 

For  many  years  cities  like  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia, 
Washington  and  Brooklyn  have  maintained  during  the  summer 


FIG.  93.    VIEW  OF  FLOATING  RIVER  BATHS. 


FIG.  94.     VIEW  OF  FLOATING  RIVER  BATHS. 

months  free  floating  swimming  baths.  At  present  there  are 
twenty  of  these  baths  in  New  York  (five  in  the  Borough  of  Brook- 
lyn, fifteen  in  Manhattan),  about  a  dozen  in  Boston,  and  one  in 
Washington.  They  are  located  at  various  convenient  places 


210        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

along  the  water  front.  The  New  York  baths  are  large  wooden 
structures,  about  64  by  94  feet  in  dimensions,  which  originally 
cost  a  good  deal  of  money,  but  some  have  not  recently  been  kept 
up  and  are  in  a  more  or  less  dilapidated  condition.  These  baths 
are  floated  on  water-tight  wooden  compartments,  and  contain 
about  60  dressing  rooms,  which  are  covered  over  and  which  sur- 
round an  open  pool  about  40  by  70  feet  in  area.  This  pool  is 
provided  with  a  wooden  slat  flooring  with  wide  openings,  through 
which  the  water  flows.  The  average  depth  of  water  in  the  pool 
is  five  feet,  but  a  few  baths  have  two  different  depths,  one  for 
swimmers,  the  other  for  non-swimmers. 

It  is  estimated  that  several  millions  of  bathers  use  these  baths 
during  the  three  summer  months.  In  past  years  these  floating 
baths  have  served  a  useful  purpose,  but  recently  it  has  been  more 
and  more  difficult  to  find  a  location  for  them  which  would  be  free 
from  sanitary  objections,  owing  to  the  increased  volume  of  sewage 
which  is  poured  into  both  the  East  and  the  North  Rivers  through 
the  sewers  of  both  municipalities.  For  this  reason  it  seems  to  be 
only  a  question  of  a  few  years  when  they  will  have  to  be  aban- 
doned altogether. 

Since  to  many  people  of  slender  means  the  ocean  is  not  readily 
accessible,  the  baths  have  been  a  valuable  means  for  recreation 
and  healthful  exercise  for  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls.  If 
floating  baths  can  no  longer  be  used,  some  other  and  better  sub- 
stitute must  be  found.  We  have  seen  in  Chapter  VIII  that  the 
latest  people's  baths  of  New  York  provide  large  swimming  pools 
with  this  in  view.  (See  Fig.  39.) 

Precautions  regarding  the  purity  of  the  water  may  be  relaxed 
in  cities  situated  on  rivers,  the  current  of  which  is  very  rapid,  as  in 
the  river  Rhine.  In  the  Seine  at  Paris,  with  a  depth  of  four 
meters,  the  current  is  such  that  only  a  good  swimmer  can  ascend 
the  stream,  and  at  the  river  bath  of  Buda-Pesth  the  current  is  still 
swifter. 

Instead  of  having  floating  river  baths,  some  cities  have  larger 
permanent  stationary  structures,  which  are  built  out  from  the 
shore,  on  pile  or  concrete  foundations.  (See  Fig.  95.) 


RIVER  AND  SEA  BATHS  211 

At  some  seaside  summer  resorts,  where  the  ocean  water  is  very 
cold,  even  in  July  and  August,  special  bathing  pools,  containing 
salt  water,  are  used,  in  which  the  water  is  warmed  by  being  allowed 
to  stand  for  some  time  exposed  to  the  sun's  rays.  Where  the  rela- 
tive levels  are  favorable  the  tanks  may  be  conveniently  filled  at 
flood  tide,  and  be  emptied  at  low  tide,  without  having  to  use  pumps. 
Where  pumps  are  required  to  lift  the  water  this  can  be  done  at 
a  low  expense  by  using  either  steam  pulsometers  or  else  steam 
ejectors,  the  advantage  in  both  cases  being  that  the  water  while 


FIG.  95.    VIEW  OF  RIVER  BATHS. 

being  pumped  is  suitably  warmed  by  the  incidental  admixture 
of  steam.  In  other  cases  electric  centrifugal  pumps  are  used. 
Such  baths  should  generally  be  protected  from  winds  by  enclosing 
walls. 

Brief  mention  should  be  made  in  this  chapter  of  the  outdoor 
swimming  pools  for  country  houses,  clubs  and  hotels.  Quite 
recently  the  use  of  such  outdoor  swimming  pools  has  been  sug- 
gested as  private  bathing  places  for  country  houses.  They  would 
doubtless  prove  very  popular  if  they  could  be  built  at  a  reason- 
able cost.  The  objection  seems  to  be  that  they  could  not  be  used 


212  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

except  during  a  very  short  time  in  the  summer  months.  Heating 
of  the  water  would  be  out  of  the  question  on  account  of  the  com- 
plication and  expense.  For  this  reason  such  pools  should  be 
built  shallow,  so  that  the  sun's  rays  may  warm  up  the  water 
somewhat. 

A  brook  or  running  stream  may  be  dammed  up  and  changed 
into  a  pool  above  the  site  of  the  dam;  in  other  cases  an  artificial 
tank  is  located  at  a  lower  level  than  the  water  in  the  creek  at  the 


FIG.  96.    OPEN  PLUNGE  BATH  FOR  A  COUNTRY  HOUSE. 

dam,  and  it  may  be  fed  by  pipes  conducted  from  the  creek  to  the 
pool. 

Outdoor  pools  may  be  built  cheaply  in  concrete,  or  else  may  be 
more  luxurious  marble  or  glass  lined  ponds,  such  as  the  one  illus- 
trated in  Fig.  96  (taken  from  a  recent  number  of  Country  Life  in 
America),  which  is  supplied  by  an  ornamental  fountain,  thus  also 
serving  as  an  attractive  feature  in  the  landscape. 

Fig.  97  illustrates  a  simpler  circular  cement  swimming  pool, 
built  in  Pennsylvania  for  the  use  of  the  operatives  of  a  factory. 
It  is  80  feet  in  diameter  and  from  3£  to  7j  feet  deep.  The  walls 


RIVER  AND  SEA  BATHS  213 

are  of  stone,  lined  with  brick,  and  the  bottom  is  of  concrete,  ren- 
dered smooth  by  a  lining  of  Portland  cement.  All  angles  of  such 
pools  should  be  well  rounded  and  there  should  be  no  projecting 
corners  to  injure  the  bather.  Open  pools  should  not  be  located 
under  or  too  close  to  trees,  on  account  of  the  leaves  falling  into 
the  water. 

At  Bar  Harbor,  Me.,  there  is  a  bathing  pool  filled  with  salt 
water  at  flood  tide;  it  is  used  there  because  the  water  is  too  cold, 
even  in  July  and  August,  to  permit  of  bathing  in  the  bay. 


FIG.  97.    SMALL  OPEN  CIRCULAR  PLUNGE  BATH  FOR  WORKINGMEN. 

A  conspicuous  feature  in  the  basement  of  a  large  hotel  in  the 
White  Mountains,  for  which  the  author  planned  and  executed 
the  entire  water  supply  and  sanitary  arrangements,*  is  an  indoor 
swimming  pool,  20  feet  by  65  feet  in  size,  and  varying  in  depth  from 
4|  to  7|  feet.  It  is  believed  that  no  other  hotel  in  the  mountains 
possesses  such  convenience.  The  pool  is  lined  with  white  tiles, 
and  the  water  may  be  tempered  by  means  of  steam  coils  running 
around  the  bottom  of  the  tank.  The  pool  is  supplied  with  pure 
and  sparkling  water  which  comes  from  a  mountain  brook  some 

*  For  a  complete  description  see  the  author's  book,  "The  Sanitation,  Water 
Supply  and  Sewage  Disposal  of  Country  Houses,"  D.  van  Nostrand  Co.,  1908. 


214        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

miles  away.  Tepid  clean  water  also  runs  into  the  pool  continu- 
ously, which  comes  from  the  ammonia  condensers  of  the  refriger- 
ating machinery.  The  floor  surrounding  the  pool  is  of  marble 
mosaic,  and  the  pool  is  guarded  by  a  brass  rail.  Near  the  pool 
are  ample  lockers,  dressing  rooms,  bathrooms  and  showers. 


CHAPTER   XV 

Am  AND  SUN  BATHS* 

"Am  BATHING"  signifies  bathing  in  the  open  air,  or,  in  other 
words,  the  exposure  of  the  unclothed  body  to  the  air,  generally  in 
connection  with  light  gymnastic  or  air-breathing  exercises  or  with 
Swedish  movements  or  sometimes  with  walking,  jumping  and 
running. 

Sun  baths  are  baths  in  which  the  nude  or  partly  nude  body 
is  exposed  to  the  beneficial  action  of  the  light  rays  of  the  sun; 
these  are  usually  taken  without  bodily  exercise,  and  give  a  higher 
effect  than  air  baths. 

Both  are  comparatively  new  methods  of  bathing,  for  we  are 
only  beginning  to  appreciate  the  strengthening  and  healing  effect 
of  air  and  sunlight  on  the  human  body  and  the  human  system. 
Both  methods,  when  judiciously  practiced,  have  shown  more 
than  a  moderate  amount  of  success. 

I  have  explained  in  Chapter  III,  in  speaking  of  the  different 
forms  of  baths,  that  baths  may  be  taken  not  only  in  water,  but 
also  in  other  media,  such  as,  for  instance,  air.  Air  baths  are, 
indeed,  the  oldest  form  of  bath,  for  according  to  biblical  history, 
Adam  and  Eve  practiced  air  bathing,  perhaps  unconsciously, 
until  they  were  driven  from  paradise. 

No  matter  how  much  we  may  like  a  refreshing  douche  or  spray 
of  water,  or  an  invigorating  swim  in  the  river  or  in  the  ocean, 
we  cannot  shut  ourselves  off  from  the  undisputable  fact  that,  to 
quote  Dr.  Lahmann,  "man  is  not  an  amphibious  animal";  he  is 
not  a  creature  of  the  watery  element.  We  are  not  intended  by 
nature  to  live  in  water,  we  are,  on  the  contrary,  "children  of  the 
air,"  because  of  the  fact  that  we  are  born  without  clothing,  that 

*  See  the  special  literature  on  air  and  sun  baths  at  end  of  Chapter  XVIII. 
215 


216  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

we  are  surrounded  by  air,  and  that  we  cannot  exist  even  for  many 
minutes  without  it.  We  take  air  internally  into  our  lungs,  and  exter- 
nally we  require  air  for  the  skin  which  envelops  our  bodies.  We 
exhale  and  eliminate  through  our  skin  as  well  as  through  our  lungs. 

If  this  proper  function  of  the  skin  is  stopped  or  interfered  with 
for  only  a  very  few  minutes  the  results  may  be  serious  or,  indeed, 
fatal.  Who  has  not  experienced  the  oppressive  feeling  when,  in 
the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  people,  even  in  the  open  air,  we  find 
ourselves  unable  to  radiate  off  our  surplus  animal  heat  ? 

The  requirements  of  modern  civilization  and  culture  are  not 
favorable,  in  some  sense,  to  this  vigorous  action  of  the  skin.  The 
clothing,  which  we  are  obliged  to  wear,  for  various  reasons,  inter- 
feres with  the  functions  of  the  skin;  all  clothing  excludes  too  much 
pure  air  from  our  body. 

If  the  eliminating  action  of  the  naked  skin  is  called  100,  then 
that  of  a  body  with  a  woolen  shirt  on  is  as  73,  with  woolen  and 
linen  shirt  it  is  60,  with  vest  added  it  becomes  40,  and  with  both 
coat  and  vest  only  33.  (Lahmann.)  What  it  is  when  we  go  out- 
doors clad  with  overcoat  with  lining  or  with  a  fur  garment  has 
not  been  established,  but  it  would  seem  as  if  it  were  near  to  zero. 

Civilization  requires  the  wearing  of  clothes,  fashion  dictates 
the  kind  and  number,  and  try  as  we  may  we  cannot  emancipate 
ourselves  from  that.  All  clothes  prevent  the  free  perspiring, 
the  free  exhalation  of  the  skin,  and  tend  to  cause  a  poisoning 
of  our  system.  We  can,  however,  help  matters  by  giving  the  skin 
once  or  twice  daily  an  opportunity  to  breathe  freely. 

The  care  of  the  skin  by  means  of  water  baths  may  be  well 
enough,  but  friction  of  the  skin  by  massage  is  better,  and  a  free 
exposure  of  the  skin  to  the  air  is  by  far  the  best. 

The  human  skin  is  able  to  endure  low  temperatures  if  accus- 
tomed to  them.  This  is  largely  a  matter  of  habit  and  of  getting 
used  to  it.  The  exposure  of  the  skin  to  the  air  not  only  hardens 
the  body,  but  it  also  strengthens  the  nervous  system  and  stimulates 
and  brightens  up  the  mind.  For  this  reason  many  physicians 
of  the  modern  school  recommend  the  use  of  "air  baths"  method- 
ically applied  as  one  of  the  best  known  means  of  hardening  the 


AIR  AND  SUN  BATHS  217 


human  constitution.  Of  course  we  must  consider  the  fact  that 
we  have  been  made  so  sensitive  and  delicate  by  being  always 
clothed,  and  generally  with  too  much  clothing,  that  we  can  and 
ought  to  accustom  ourselves  only  gradually  to  such  exposures. 

Indeed,  medical  practice  in  Europe  has  shown  that  while  there 
are  some  persons  who  are  unable  to  stand  cold-water  applications 
as  a  means  of  hardening  the  body,  only  very  few,  if  any,  are  unable 
to  take  the  "air  baths,"  provided  they  are  begun  gradually,  in 
the  manner  indicated  further  on. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  air  bathing,  while  little  mentioned  until 
recently,  is  not  at  all  new  or  untried.  The  Greek  youths  prac- 
ticed air  bathing  in  their  gymnasia.  We  have  seen  in  Chapter  I 
that  the  ancients  practiced  bathing  of  all  kinds;  they  did  not 
restrict  themselves  to  the  immersion  of  the  body  in  water;  they 
knew  the  curative  value  of  watery  vapors  or  steam  and  of  the  air 
and  light  on  the  skin.  After  their  usual  daily  bath  they  used  to 
walk  naked  in  the  air  for  a  long  time. 

History  furthermore  tells  us  that  the  Romans  knew  the  value  of 
sun  baths,  for  they  built  adjoining  their  houses  special  "solaria,"  or 
sun  rooms,  in  which  they  kept  the  nude  body  exposed  to  the  heal- 
ing rays  of  the  sun.  Hippocrates  also  knew  the  value  of  light  as 
a  healing  medium.  In  his  trip  across  Greenland  the  explorer, 
Frithjof  Nansen,  learnt  that  the  Eskimos  took  air  baths  in  their 
tents;  he  found  that  they  knew  that  the  tight  and  nonporous  furs, 
which  they  are  obliged  to  wear  outdoors,  impede  a  healthful 
action  of  the  skin  and  prevent  it  from  eliminating  waste  matters 
promptly.  So  as  soon  as  they  enter  their  tents  they  cast  off  all 
clothing,  to  the  utter  astonishment  of  Nansen,  who  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  such  sights.  In  the  same  way  it  is  said  that  the  Pata- 
gonians  run  about  in  the  open  air  naked  even  in  winter  time, 
and  the  same  is  related  of  the  Japanese  and  the  people  of  Finland. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  famous  Benjamin  Franklin 
practiced  air  bathing  regularly.  In  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to 
a  friend  in  1773  he  stated  that  he  practiced  air  bathing  daily, 
and  called  the  bath  a  hardening,  strengthening  and  tonic  bath. 
Here  are  his  own  words:  "To  me  the  shock  of  cold  water  has 


218        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

usually  been  too  strong,  and  I  have  found  it  much  more  agreeable 
to  my  body  to  bathe  in  another  element,  namely,  in  'fresh  air.' 
For  this  purpose  I  rise  early  every  morning  and  sit  down  for  half 
an  hour,  or  even  an  hour,  according  to  the  season,  without  putting 
on  any  clothes,  reading  or  writing  in  my  room." 

The  Belgian  author  and  poet,  Maurice  Maeterlink,  praises 
the  custom  of  exposing  the  nude  body  to  the  air;  he  sees  in  it  the 
reason  for  the  hitherto  unattained  perfection  of  the  art  of  sculpture 
of  the  Greeks.  "In  all  arts,"  he  says,  "the  cultured  nations  have 
come  nearer  to  or  have  got  farther  away  from  the  ideal  of  beauty 
in  proportion  as  they  came  nearer  or  farther  away  from  the  custom 
of  going  without  clothes.  The  principle  of  the  beautiful  in  art 
was  to  the  Greek  the  beauty  of  his  body,  and  according  to  the 
model  of  his  nude  and  perfectly  developed  and  shaped  body  he 
erected  his  temples  and  his  palaces,  molded  the  style  of  his  dwelling, 
and  the  form,  proportions  and  all  ornamentation  of  his  articles 
of  daily  use.  The  Romans,  likewise,  were  indebted  for  their 
beautiful  creations  to  their  custom  of  going  about  naked." 

In  our  own  times  we  find  a  practice  similar  to  that  of  the  old 
Greeks  existing  at  the  beach  bathing  resorts,  for  many  are  those 
who  prefer  to  walk  up  and  down  the  beach  in  a  light  bathing 
costume  rather  than  go  into  the  watery  surf.  What  is  this  other 
than  a  form  of  air  bathing  ? 

A  Frenchman,  Michel  Seigneur  de  Montaigne,  is  said  to  have 
published  some  writings  in  1580  in  which  he  urged  the  adoption 
of  the  air  bath,  and  several  physicians  contributed  to  the  early 
literature  on  the  subject.  Among  the  greatest  promoters  of  the 
air  bath  of  the  nineteenth  century  should  be  mentioned  a  Swiss 
layman,  Arnold  Rikli,  who  opened  up  in  1865  an  "atmospheric 
cure  "  for  patients  in  Veldes,  Austria,  and  who  came  to  be  known 
among  the  peasants  as  the  "sun  doctor."  To  him  is  due  the 
saying: 

"Wasser  thut's  freilich, 

Hoeher  jedoch  steht  die  Luft, 
Und  am  hoechsten  das  Licht." 

("  Water  accomplishes  cures, 

But  higher  than  water  stands  air, 
And  highest  of  all  the  light.") 


AIR   AND   SUN   BATHS 


219 


Dr.  Heinrich  Lahmann,  at  his  sanatorium  at  "Zum  Weissen 
Hirsch,"  near  Dresden,  favored  the  milder  form  of  light  and  air 
bath,  and  since  1898  became  its  foremost  champion.  Many 
others,  devoted  to  natural  methods  of  curing,  followed  with  the 
installation  of  air  baths,  for  instance,  Dr.  Gossmann  at  \Yilhelms- 
hoehe,  near  Cassel;  Adolf  Just  at  "Jungborn"  in  the  mountains 
of  the  Hartz,  and  since  1895  a  general  movement  has  sprung  up 
and  spread  rapidly  throughout  Germany  in  favor  of  these  baths, 
largely  at  the  instigation  of  the  Societies  for  Natural  Methods 


FIG.  98.    VIEW  OF  THE  PDBLIC  AIR  BATH  FOR  MEN  AT  THE  KURFUER- 

STEXDAMM,    BERLIN. 


of  Healing  and  Living  (Vereine  fuer  naturgemaesse  Heil-und 
Lebensweise). 

At  many  sanatoria  one  finds  nowadays  provision  for  air  bathing 
by  suitable  enclosures,  where  one  can  exercise,  clad  only  in  the 
scantiest  of  clothing,  as  shown  in  the  various  illustrations  of  this 
chapter. 

Many  municipalities  have  likewise  erected  such  baths,  con- 
sisting of  meadow,  pasture  or  grass  land  enclosures  on  the 
outskirts  of  a  city,  surrounded  by  very  high  board  fences,  and 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


provided  with  numerous  dressing  compartments  and  with  some 
gymnastic  apparatus  and  a  shower  bath  for  use  after  a  sun 
bath. 

Fig.  98  illustrates  a  view  of  the  public  air  bath  at  the  Kurfiirs- 
tendamm,  in  Berlin.  Fig.  99  shows  the  plan  and  Fig.  100  the 
arrangement  of  a  public  air  and  sun  bath  in  Munich. 


AIR  AND  SUN  BATHS 


221 


Fig.  101  shows  a  view  in  the  municipal  air  bath  of  Munich, 
located  at  the  station  Maria-Einsiedel,  of  the  Isar  River  Valley 
Railroad. 

The  entrance  fee  at  such  baths  is  usually  very  low,  on  the  aver- 
age from  two  and  a  half  cents  to  five  cents,  as  I  found  it  in  some 
cities.  Austria  and  Switzerland  have  many  such  public  air  baths. 
Recently  Dr.  Pudor  suggested  the  introduction  of  air  baths  in 


FIG.  100.    VIEW  IN  THE  MUNICIPAL  Am  BATH  IN  MUNICH  GERMANY. 

the  public  schools,  but  this  would  hardly  be  necessary  if  parents 
would  only  accustom  their  children  at  home  to  harden  their 
bodies  by  air  bathing. 

The  question  seems  pertinent,  what  good  is  to  be  accomplished 
by  air  baths  ? 

An  air  bath,  together  with  light  bodily  exercise  taken  in  the 
garb  of  nature,  serves  to  harden  and  strengthen  the  entire  body. 
It  gives  it  an  opportunity  to  radiate  off  heat.  An  actual  ex- 
perience and  observation  of  the  author  will  perhaps  illustrate 


222 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


this  best:  during  air  bathing  practiced  at  a  sanatorium  in  a  roof 
solarium,  with  all  windows  wide  open,  when  the  outdoor 
temperature  was  below  the  freezing  point,  the  indoor  temper- 
ature rose  in  twenty  minutes  from  +6°  C.  to  +14°  C.  (42°  to 
57°  Fahr.)-  During  this  time  there  were  present  about  thirty 
patients  practicing  breathing  exercises.  The  rise  of  15  degrees 
in  temperature  was  due  entirely  to  the  surplus  heat  given  off  by 


FIG.  101.    VIEW  IN  ANOTHER  MUNICIPAL  AIR  BATH  OF  MUNICH, 
GERMANY. 

the  bodies  of  these  thirty  people.  One  can  infer  from  this  how 
much  heat  and  how  many  exhalations  are  given  off  in  a  dense 
crowd  of  people!  Is  it  any  wonder  that  many  persons  faint  in 
such  crowds  ? 

Air  bathing  is  particularly  adapted  to  those  persons  who  are 
compelled  to  lead  a  sedentary  life.  A  better  blood  circulation 
always  results,  also  a  better  assimilation  of  the  food,  which  is 
of  the  utmost  importance  and  a  first  condition  for  well-being. 

The  air  bath  hardens  skin  and  body,  assists  the  work  of  the 


AIR  AND  SUN   BATHS 


223 


lungs,  increases  skin  excretions  and  improves  the  eliminating 
action  of  bowels  and  kidneys.  It  reduces  some  forms  of  nervous- 
ness, cures  rheumatic  affections,  and  is  excellent  in  the  treatment 
of  obesity.  It  improves  the  quality  of  the  blood  by  increasing 
circulation.  It  improves  the  outward  appearance  of  the  skin 
and  is  helpful  in  some  skin  diseases.  The  air,  assisted  by  the 
action  of  the  light  rays,  acts  stimulating  and  as  a  tonic  for  the 


FIG.  102.    GROUP  OF  ATHLETES  IN  THE  AIR  BATH. 

system.  After  practicing  air  bathing  for  a  while  morning  and 
evening,  and  continuing  the  bath  from  the  summer  until  well  into 
the  winter,  one  finds  it  possible  to  wear  lighter  or  more  porous 
clothing  or  else  less  clothes.  One  of  the  best  accomplishments 
is  that  it  prevents  catching  cold. 

How,  where  and  when  is  the  air  bath  taken  ?  How  often  and 
how  long? 

Where  other  opportunities  for  this  healthful  practice  are 
lacking,  one  may  take  air  baths  at  any  public  bath  house  and  at 


224 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


the  river,  lake  or  ocean  baths,  or  in  specially  prepared  simple 
enclosures,  provided  they  are  not  overlooked  by  neighboring 
buildings. 

The  air  bath  consists,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the  removal  of  all 
clothing  (save  a  small  loin  cloth)  from  the  body,  and  of  the  bath- 
ing of  the  body  in  the  air.  (See  illustrations,  Figs.  102,  103,  104.) 
It  is  most  beneficial  if  taken  outdoors  and  during  the  daytime, 
because  then  the  action  of  the  sunlight  is  added  to  that  of  the 


FIG.  103.    GROUP  OF  PERSONS  TAKING  AN  OUTDOOR  AIR  BATH,  AFTER 
A  SNOW  FALL,  TEMPERATURE  OUTDOORS  BEING  28°  F. 


air,  the  bath  becoming  really  a  light  and  air  bath,  or  a  sunlight 
bath.  If  the  sun  is  too  strong  one  goes  into  the  shade,  but  in 
winter  one  goes  into  the  sun  to  keep  warm. 

A  novice  should  begin  during  the  warm  season  by  taking  air 
baths  in  his  room.  Windows  should  be  opened,  at  first,  a  little 
and  soon  wider,  and  during  the  air  bath  of  five  minutes'  duration 
some  light  exercise  should  be  taken  and  the  feet  should  be  pro- 
tected. Deep  breathing  exercises  are  much  to  be  recommended. 
After  the  air  bath  a  brisk  walk  is  advisable.  Gradually  the 


AIR    AND    SUN    BATHS 


225 


length  of  the  bath  can  be  extended  from  five  to  thirty  minutes, 
and  finally  one  will  be  able  to  take  baths  twice  daily.  As  soon 
as  the  state  of  the  weather  permits,  and  where  facilities  for  out- 


FIG.  104.    PERSON  TAKING  AN  AIR  BATH  IN  THE  WOODS,  AFTER  A 
SNOW  FALL,  TEMPERATURE  OUTDOORS  BEING  28°  F. 

door  bathing  are  available,  it  is  best  to  venture  out  into  the  open 
air  and  to  take  the  bath  outdoors.  Do  not  stay  too  long  at  first. 
It  is  surprising,  however,  how  soon  one  gets  used  to  the  air  ex- 
posure. Almost  at  once  both  body  and  mind  begin  to  improve, 


226  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

and  one  soon  experiences  the  exhilarating  and  beneficial  physical 
effect  of  the  bath.  One  does  not  only  feel  so,  one  actually  becomes 
so.  One  may  easily  become  accustomed  to  a  bath  of  one-half 
hour's  duration  with  the  temperature  at  42-46°  Fahr.  And  what 
is  more  surprising,  one  finds  one's  self  able  to  continue  the  baths  far 
into  the  winter,  even  after  snow  has  fallen,  provided  the  air  is  dry. 
(See  Figs.  103  and  104.)  But,  of  course,  just  as  soon  as  the  air 
becomes  cold,  it  is  advisable  to  take  more  active  gymnastic  exercises. 
After  a  personal  experience  extending  over  a  month's  time, 
the  author  can  vouch  for  the  fact  that  it  is  a  very  rare  experience 

to  find  persons  who  take  air 
baths  catching  cold  or  suffering 
from  catarrhs.  After  a  week's 
trial  many  persons  are  able  to 
go  unclothed  out  of  doors,  even 
when  the  thermometer  stands 
below  the  freezing  point.  It 
is,  of  course,  required,  at  such 
times,  to  take  brisk  walks  in 
order  to  keep  the  blood  in  cir- 
culation, or  to  jump  or  run  for 
a  while,  or  else  to  practice  fric- 
tion exercises  by  rubbing  the 

body   with   the    hands.     Many 

FIG.  105.    ATHLETIC  EXERCISE  IN  THE    ,  ,."  -j     j 

^  BATH  delicate    persons    are    said    to 

stand  air  baths  better  than  cold- 
water  baths.  It  gives  them  a  delightful  feeling  of  bodily  well- 
being,  a  feeling  of  lightness,  brightness  and  of  cheerfulness. 

Air  baths  are  beneficial  not  only  for  men,  but  also  for  women, 
and  particularly  for  the  young  children.  (See  Figs.  105  and  106.) 
Air  baths  in  summer  time  are  better  for  children  than  bathing 
in  the  river  or  in  lakes. 

In  a  recent  article  on  "Air  and  Sun  Baths,"  the  New  York 
Tribune  said  the  following: 

Progressive  German  parents  are  building  sun  baths  for  their  children,  small 
enclosures  in  the  garden  or  on  the  roof,  where  the  little  ones  can  disport  themselves 


AIR  AND   SUN  BATHS 


227 


in  the  garb  of  nature.  The  effects  of  the  treatment  are  said  to  be  marvelous. 
The  little  people  become  immune  to  colds,  and  anaemia,  scrofula  and  nervous 
troubles,  to  mention  only  a  few,  are  said  to  disappear  as  if  by  magic.  Well  chil- 
dren become  still  stronger,  and  even  weak  and  delicate  children  become  so  ac- 
customed to  the  contact  of  the  atmosphere  with  their  naked  bodies  that  they  go 
out  of  doors  unclothed,  even  with  snow  or  ice  on  the  ground. 

A  child  begins  its  air  baths  in  a  room  with  open  windows.  Then  it  goes 
out  of  doors  on  warm  days  and  thus  gradually  becomes  accustomed  to  all  weathers 
at  all  times  of  the  year.  He  exercises  and  plays  games  while  in  the  air  bath  in 


FIG.  106.     CHILDREN  DRILLING  IN  THE  WOMEN'S  AIR  BATH. 


order  to  keep  warm.  Special  exercises  are  recommended  for  this  purpose,  and 
when  necessary  the  skin  is  rubbed. 

The  sun  bath  is  not  so  universally  beneficial  as  the  air  bath,  and  it  is  con- 
sidered wise  to  consult  a  physician  before  trying  it.  When  recommended  it  is 
taken  in  conjunction  with  the  air  bath.  All  that  is  required  for  the  sun  bath  is 
some  kind  of  shade  for  the  head  and  a  watering  pot.  The  body  is  exposed  to 
the  sun  for  from  twenty  minutes  to  an  hour,  and  is  then  cooled  off  by  a  shower 
of  not  too  cold  water  from  the  watering  pot. 

The  pioneers  of  this  movement  were  subjected  to  much  ridicule,  but  now 
they  have  an  army  of  followers. 

What  should  appeal  to  every  one  forcibly  is  that  the  air  bath 
calls  for  scarcely  any  preparation.  It  requires  no  fixtures,  no 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


fittings,  no  appliances  of  any  kind,  and  no  expensive  bath  houses 
with  elaborate  plumbing.  As  appears  from  some  of  the  illustra- 
tions, the  air  bath  is  arranged  on  soft  meadow  ground  by  erecting 
suitably  high  fence  enclosures.  Inside  of  these  are  provided 


FIG.  107.    ATHLETIC  EXERCISES  IN  THE  Am  BATH. 

simple  dressing-compartments,  and  a  few  gymnastic  apparatus 
are  set  up.  For  those  who  practice  "sun  bathing"  a  simple 
spray  bath  should  be  installed. 

The  author  was  astonished  to  find  during  his  trip  in   Europe 
that  many  German  cities  had  provision  made,  either  by  private 


AIR  AND   SUN   BATHS 


229 


health  associations  or  by  the  municipality,  for  extensive  air  baths, 
which  were  very  largely  patronized.  The  devotion  of  the  Ger- 
mans to  gymnastic  exercises  is  well  known,  and  in  the  air  bath  they 
find  ample  opportunity  to  indulge  in  their  favorite  sports.  (See 
Figs.  107,  108,  109.)  As  one  of  the  illustrations  shows,  Fig.  110, 
bowling  is  a  favorite  pastime,  and  playing  tennis  or  golf  might  well 
be  added,  and  would  surely  find  some  enthusiastic  followers  here. 


FIG.  108.    ATHLETIC  EXERCISES  IN  THE  AIR  BATH. 

Even  the  members  of  the  orchestra  playing  favorite  airs,  indulge 
in  the  air  bath.  (See  Fig.  111.) 

The  best  exercises  to  take  while  air  bathing  are  the  correct 
breathing  exercises  and  Swedish  movements,  and  in  Germany 
there  is  generally  at  the  air  bath,  particularly  in  the  sanatoria, 
a  drill  master  who  teaches  these  movements  and  superintends  the 
bathing  generally. 

It  seems  about  time  that  such  widelv  beneficial  institutions  were 


230  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

provided  for  the  masses  in  our  own  country,  though  I  must  admit 
that  the  months  of  July  and  August  appear  to  me  to  be  unfit, 
in  this  semi-tropical  climate,  for  the  exposure  of  the  body,  except 
in  well-shaded  places. 

The  roofs  of  many  of  our  city  dwellings  could  readily  be  made 
suitable  for  air  baths.  The  suggestion  to  use  them  as  playgrounds 
is  not  new,  why  not  go  a  step  further?  For  winter  time  solaria 
or  glass-covered  places  should  be  provided.  In  other  cases  the 
back  yard,  or  a  part  of  it,  may  be  rendered  fit  for  the  practice  of 


FIG.  109.    GROUP  OF  PATIENTS  TAKING  THE  AIR  BATH. 

air  bathing  by  partly  roofing  it  over  to  avoid  exposure.  Wide 
balconies,  porches  or  loggias,  well  sheltered  from  exposure  by 
light  bamboo  screens  or  blinds,  may  be  used. 

In  open-air  bathing  damp  grounds  and  windy  spots  should  be 
avoided;  always  keep  out  of  drafts  of  wind  and  avoid  exposure 
to  rain.  Do  not  bathe  directly  after  a  meal,  and  do  not  eat  or 
drink  during  the  bath. 

The  majority  of  persons,  after  practicing  air  bathing  for  some 
time,  find  it  necessary  to  institute  a  reform  in  their  clothing,  by 
discarding  all  heavy  underwear  even  in  winter  time,  and  wearing 
only  the  lighter,  more  porous  and  open-mesh  garments. 


AIR   AND   SUN   BATHS 


231 


Persons  who  take  air  baths  always  sleep  with  the  windows 
wide  open,  and  lose  all  fear  of  the  "night  air."  Those  afflicted 
with  insomnia  find  it  sometimes  of  advantage  to  rise  and  take  a 
short  air  bath  during  the  night. 

In  summer  time,  with  a  temperature  of  the  air  at  from  67  to 
77°  Fahr.,  any  one  can  take  an  air  bath  of  10  to  30  minutes'  dura- 
tion, the  best  time  for  the  bath  being  about  nine  in  the  morning 


FIG.  110.     BOWLING  SPORT  IN  THE  AIR  BATH. 

or  four  in  the  afternoon.  In  winter  the  room  should  be  warmed 
to  67°  Fahr.,  and  the  air  bath  can  be  continued  with  good  results, 
light  gymnastics  being  practiced  during  the  exposure  to  the  air. 

How  much  cleaner  and  nicer  is  such  a  bath  than  the  inhaling 
of  the  usually  foul  air  of  many  of  our  Turkish-bath  establishments! 

"Sun  baths"  should  not  be  confounded  with  air  baths,  for  they 
are  essentially  different  types  of  baths.  If  the  body  is  kept  ex- 
posed in  the  open  air  to  the  action  of  the  sun's  rays,  the  bath 
becomes  a  sunlight  bath.  It  is  well  known  that  the  energy  of 


232 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


light  rays  is  beneficial  to  the  human  system.  Sun  baths,  in  order 
to  be  beneficial,  should  be  of  much  shorter  duration  than  air  baths. 
In  taking  a  sun  bath  the  head,  the  neck  and  the  eyes  must  be  well 
protected  from  the  direct  sun  rays.  The  position  of  the  body 
should  be  frequently  changed  so  as  to  expose  it  on  all  sides.  The 
duration  of  a  sun  bath  should  not  exceed  20  to  30  minutes,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  usually  free  perspiration  has  set  in.  After  the 
bath  one  should  take  a  full  water  bath  of  90  to  95°  Fahr.,  and 


FIG.  111.    BAND  PLAYING  IN  THE  PUBLIC  Am  BATH  FOR  MEN. 

finish  up  with  friction  rubbing;  or  one  may  cool  off  the  body 
by  going  into  the  shade  and  afterwards  taking  a  cool  spray. 

Sun  baths  should  only  be  taken  under  medical  advice,  for  in 
some  persons  they  cause  headaches,  heart  palpitation,  nausea, 
dizziness,  etc.  In  our  semi-tropical  climate  of  the  summer  months 
there  would  seem  to  me  to  be  danger  of  both  sun  and  heat  strokes, 
as  the  sun  is  then  too  strong,  therefore  sun  baths  should  not  be 
taken  here  during  the  hottest  months. 

Sun  baths  may  be  taken  in  solaria,  or  in  open  halls  protected 
on  the  sides  against  wind,  or  in  roof  gardens  of  city  houses.  The 
drawback  attaching  to  them  is  that  one  is  dependent  on  the 


AIR  AND  SUN  BATHS  233 

weather  for  a  sun  bath.  This  was  one  reason  which  led  to  the 
invention  of  the  electric  light  baths,  which  may  be  considered  "arti- 
ficial sun  baths,"  but  which  at  best  are  only  weak  imitations  of  the 
natural  sun  bath.  For  a  discussion  of  these  see  Chapter  XVI. 

Modifications  of  the  air  bath,  which  require  but  brief  mention, 
are  the  dew  bath,  or  the  walking  with  bare  feet  and  naked  body 
in  the  wet  grass  (after  Father  Kneipp);  the  "genuine  rain  bath," 
i.e.,  the  walking  in  air-bath  costume  during  a  rainstorm,  which  is 
only  intended  for  those  with  strong  constitutions;  the  earth,  sand 
and  moor  baths;  and  finally  the  snow  bath,  practiced  by  the  Fin- 
landers,  the  Japanese  and  the  Patagonians.  One  may  either  roll 
in  the  snow  outdoors,  or  else  gather  a  pail  of  it,  bring  it  into  the 
room  and  rub  the  body  with  the  soft  and  warm  snow. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

MEDICAL  AND  ELECTRIC-LIGHT  BATHS 

THE  term  "medical  baths"  comprises  a  large  variety  of  special 
baths,  in  which  various  media  are  made  use  of  for  healing  pur- 
poses. 

According  to  the  media  more  frequently  employed  we  have 
water  baths,  either  cold  or  hot,  also  hot  springs  containing  mineral 
salts;  hot-air  and  steam- vapor  applications;  steam  baths;  car- 
bonic acid  gas  baths;  mud  and  fango  baths;  hydro-electric  baths; 
electric  light  baths,  and  the  air  and  sun  baths,  already  described 
in  the  preceding  chapter. 

Water  may  be  used  in  tubs,  in  douches  or  sprays,  in  full  or 
local  wet  packs,  in  wave  or  current  form,  and  finally  in  connection 
with  currents  of  electricity  in  the  so-called  "hydro-electric" 
baths. 

Each  of  the  medical  baths  mentioned  will  be  briefly  described 
in  the  following. 

Those  forms  of  medical  baths  in  which  the  water  used  is  not 
ordinary  water,  but  a  mineral  spring  or  possibly  one  of  the  hot 
springs,  depend  for  their  location  entirely  upon  the  locality  where 
the  springs  flow  or  are  found  issuing  from  the  earth.  In  the  case 
of  hot  springs  the  volume  of  water  available  is  sometimes  so 
limited  as  not  to  be  sufficient  for  single  tub  bathing,  in  that  case 
the  hot-spring  baths  are  taken  in  pools  in  which  several  persons 
bathe  together. 

The  use  of  cold  water  in  its  various  forms  of  application  has  been 
known  for  many  centuries.  Some  of  the  ancient  Greek  physi- 
cians, among  them  Hippocrates,  Asclepiades  and  Galen,  are  said 
to  have  favored  water  treatment  of  disease.  In  Germany  the 
treatment  received  a  fresh  impetus  when  Vincent  Priessnitz 

234 


MEDICAL  AND   ELECTRIC-LIGHT   BATHS 


235 


founded  in  1830  his  institute,  which  afterwards  became  world- 
famous  as  "Kaltwasserheil-Anstalt."  He  declared  against  the 
administering  of  medicines  internally,  and  cured  entirely  by  cold- 
water  applications,  such  as  general  and  local  baths,  seat  and  foot 
baths,  douches,  wet  packs,  wet  rubbing  and  cold  local  "  Guesse," 
or  sudden  pourings  of  water  on  parts  of  the  body.  Father  Sebas- 
tian Kneipp  in  Woerisshofen  also  practiced  hydropathy  to  some 
extent,  and  the  chief  modern  champion  of  the  water  system  is 
Professor  Winternitz  of  the 
University  of  Vienna,  Austria. 

Many  medical  baths  con- 
sist of  baths  taken  in  tubs 
with  warm  water  in  which 
medical  compounds  of  one 
kind  or  another  are  added 
and  dissolved;  of  the  more 
common  substances  so  added 
to  water  for  curing  purposes 
I  mention  herbs,  soda,  salts, 
sulphur,  pine  needles,  car- 
bonic acid  gas,  and  oak- 
bark  solutions  (tannin  baths), 
the  latter  usually  in  combina- 
tion with  electric  currents. 

The  carbonic  acid  gas 
baths  are  much  used  in  cases 
of  heart  trouble,  nervous 

ailments,  insomnia,  neuralgia,  obesity,  rheumatism  and  gout 
(Nauheim  baths.)  The  gas  is  mixed  intimately  with  the  water 
and  renders  it  sparkling,  bubbling  and  highly  tonic. 

A  system  of  water  massage  is  practiced  at  Aix-les-Bains,  in 
Savoy,  France,  in  which  hot  and  cold  douches  are  used  alter- 
nately. Water,  in  the  form  of  steam  vapor,  is  used  in  so-called 
steam  douches,  largely  for  local  applications. 

Tub  baths  in  connection  with  electric  currents  are  called  hvdro- 


PIG.  112.    A  HYDRO-ELECTRIC  BATH. 


236  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

electric  baths;  in  these  the  electric  current  is  made  to  pass  through 
the  body  of  the  bather,  and  they  are  much  employed  by  physi- 
cians for  the  curing  of  ischias,  gout,  rheumatism,  neuralgia, 
abdominal  and  intestinal  troubles,  also  for  sprains  and  contusions. 
Fig.  112  illustrates  a  modern  form  of  such  tub  bath;  besides  the 
full  bath  there  are  also  used  local  baths,  such  as  baths  for  the 
arms,  for  the  feet,  etc.  The  tub  is  an  oaken  tub  with  metal  rods 
on  the  long  sides,  from  which  prismatic  carbon  rods,  the  so-called 
"electrodes,"  are  hung.  The  rods  are  connected  by  means  of 
wiring  to  a  wall  switch,  and  the  current  may  be  turned  on  full  and 
strong  or  else  weaker,  according  to  the  prescription  of  the  physi- 
cian. At  the  head  end  of  the  tub  there  is  a  convenient  head  rest. 
The  electrodes  are  removable  so  as  to  afford  facilities  for  the 
cleaning  of  the  tub.  The  bath  may  be  operated  from  an  accumu- 
lator battery  of  30  volts  strength.  Very  little  current  is  used. 
There  are  no  metallic  parts  in  the  tub.  The  electrodes  may  be 
removed  and  then  the  tub  is  suitable  for  sulphur  baths,  carbonic 
acid  gas  baths  and  the  like. 

The  tonic  effect  of  water  in  motion  has  long  been  known  and 
appreciated.  Wave  baths  were  some  years  ago  suggested  by 
Dr.  Preiss,  and  recently  they  have  been  advocated  by  Hofrat 
Hoeglauer  of  Munich,  Germany.  These  baths  are  the  outcome 
of  the  ordinary  wave  bath,  called  in  Germany  "  Wellenschaukel- 
bad,"  which  was  referred  to  in  Chapter  III,  and  illustrated  in 
Fig.  3.  In  this  bath  the  bather  himself  operates  the  tub  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  create  wave  action,  but  the  device  is  more  or  less 
primitive  and  has  the  disadvantage  that  it  cannot  be  operated 
by  weak  persons  or  invalids,  whom  it  is  intended  to  benefit. 

In  the  new  patented  "Undosa"  motor  baths,  illustrated  in  Figs. 
113  a  and  113  b,  the  bathtub  is  much  more  roomy  and  remains 
stationary.  The  usual  dimensions  of  such  a  tub  are:  length,  2 
meters  (6£  feet),  and  width,  1  meter  (3J  feet).  The  water  in  the 
tub  is  set  in  motion  by  paddles  driven  by  a  small  electric  motor, 
and  thus  the  bather  does  not  have  to  perform  any  muscular  work. 
Fig.  114  illustrates  another  kind  of  "Undosa"  tub,  in  which  cur- 
rents, and  not  waves,  are  created  bv  mechanical  means.  Cool  or 


MEDICAL   AND   ELECTRIC-LIGHT   BATHS 


237 


else  tepid  baths  with  fresh  or  salt  water,  and  sometimes  carbonic 
acid  gas  baths  may  be  administered,  and  the  strength  of  the  cur- 


FIG.  113  a.    VIEW  OF  ARTIFICIAL  WAVE  BATH. 

rent  or  of  the  wave  action  may  be  regulated  at  will.     The  value 
of  such  baths  from  a  hydrotherapeutic   standpoint  are  conceded 


FIG.  113b.    SECTION  OF  ARTIFICAL  WAVE  BATH. 

by  many  prominent  physicians,  particularly  in  the  case  of  nervous 
troubles,  neurasthenics,  pains  in  the  joints,  and  also  for  the  re- 
duction of  obesity,  and  for  insomnia. 


238  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

The  tubs  are  so  shaped  that  the  waves  can  not  run  over  the 
top,  which  is  curved  so  as  to  throw  the  water  back  into  the  tub. 
In  the  "current"  bath  the  water  is  put  in  motion  by  the  action 
of  a  sort  of  propeller,  as  shown  in  the  illustration  Fig.  114. 

Quite  recently  practical  tests  have  been  carried  out  with  larger 
"Undosa"  wave  pool  or  plunge  baths  (see  Fig.  115),  these  being 
intended  for  those  who  cannot,  for  one  reason  or  another,  visit 
an  ocean  bath.  These  may  also  be  fitted  up  in  a  river  or  in  a 
lake,  of  which  the  author  saw  an  example  at  Stamberg,  on  Lake 
Starnberg,  not  far  from  Munich,  or  they  may  be  arranged  in 
covered  swimming  halls,  and  then  have  the  advantage  that  they 
can  be  used  the  year  round.  All  such  baths  would  seem  to  lack 


FIG.  114.    SECTION  OF  ARTIFICIAL  CURRENT  BATH. 

is  the  beneficial  tonic  effect  of  the  ocean  air,  otherwise  they  exert 
a  very  stimulating  action  on  the  nerves  and  on  the  skin. 

Hot  air  as  a  healing  medium  may  be  applied  in  a  variety  of 
ways.  There  are  the  well-known  forms  of  hot-air  cabinet  baths, 
made  either  for  a  sitting  posture  or  for  a  reclining  position.  These 
baths  are  cabinets  of  wood,  with  well-isolated  walls,  the  inside 
surface  being  arranged  washable  and  so  it  may  be  disinfected. 
Alcohol  or  gas  is  used  as  fuel.  They  are  useful  for  skin  diseases, 
colds,  catarrhs,  gout  and  rheumatism,  obesity,  etc.,  and  they 
are  superior  to  the  ordinary  Turkish  bath,  because  the  head  re- 
mains free  and  outside  of  the  heat.  Another  form  of  application 
consists  in  hot  or  cold  air  douches,  in  which  sprays  or  air  currents 
of  desired  temperature  are  applied  to  the  parts  of  the  body  to  be 
treated.  In  one  apparatus  of  this  kind  a  turbine  or  wheel  is 
driven  by  a  small  electric  motor;  the  apparatus  combines  an 


MEDICAL  AND  ELECTRIC-LIGHT  BATHS 


239 


electric  heating  device  for  the  air,  and  there  are  two  douches 
each  with  hose,  for  cold  and  hot  applications.  Air  of  a  tempera- 
ture up  to  120°  F.  may  be  applied  to  the  skin  by  the  douche,  assisted 
by  massage,  and  sometimes  alternate  hot  and  cold  air  douches 
are  applied.  These  are  used  principally  in  cases  of  muscular 
rheumatism  or  neuralgia. 

Another  device  for  hot-air  applications  is  called  "electrotherm," 


FIG.  115.    VIEW  OF  POOL  WITH  ARTIFICIAL  WAVES. 

and  consists  of  a  box,  having  side  openings  for  the  hands,  arms 
or  feet.  The  air  is  warmed  by  electricity,  and  the  dry  application 
of  heat  is  particularly  soothing  in  cases  of  local  pains. 

The  "Lohtannin"  baths  consist  of  applications  of  the  electric 
currents  to  water  in  which  an  oak-bark  solution  is  mixed.  They 
act  favorably  on  the  nervous  system,  and  are  useful  for  gout, 
rheumatism  and  ischias. 

Of  other  more  complicated  electric  and  electro-magnetic  baths 
I  shall  not  speak,  and  I  will  only  make  brief  mention  of  the  "in- 


240  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

halatoria,"  for  diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs,  like  those  at 
Aix-les-Bains   in   France,  and  at  Sharon  Springs  in  New  York 


FIG.  116.    VIEW  OF  INTERIOR  OF  A  MUD  BATH  HOUSE. 

State.     Usually  sulphur  water  is  atomized   either  by  means  of 
steam  or  by  compressed  air  and  inhaled  for  a  period  varying 


FIG.  117.    VIEW  OF  INTERIOR  OF  A  MUD  BATH  HOUSE. 

from  one-fourth  to  three-fourths  of  an  hour.     The  applications 
to  the  throat  or  nose  may  be  either  dry  or  moist.     The  beneficial 


MEDICAL  AND  ELECTRIC-LIGHT  BATHS 


241 


effects  of  sulphur  inhalations  have  been  known  for  a  long  time, 
particularly  for  catarrhal  affections. 


FIG.  118.    MUD  BATH  APPLICATION. 


Mud  and  "fango"  baths   are  nowadays   much   used,  particu- 
larly for  rheumatic  troubles  and  for  ischias.     A  mud  bath  con- 


/rf 


FIG.  119.    MUD  BATH  APPLICATION. 

sists  of  the  application  to  the  body  of  warm  or  hot  mud,  usually 
mixed  with  sulphur  or  other  water.     Such  mud  baths  exist  at 


242        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

Relief  Hot  Springs,  Cal.,  where  the  Indians  used  them  first  to 
relieve  rheumatism.  The  mud  is  formed  of  roots  growing  in 
swampy  ground,  and  it  is  used  in  cemented  tubs,  into  which 
sulphur  water  flows. 

"Fango"  is  a  volcanic  mud  product,  found  in  Italy  in  the 
province  of  Padua.  The  Romans  had  fango  baths  at  Battaglia, 
which  were  built  by  the  Emperors.  The  fango  mud  is  a  grayish- 
brown  mass,  homogeneous,  soft  and  without  any  odor.  The 
illustrations,  Figs.  116-120,  are  from  the  mud  baths  at  Mudlavia, 


FIG.  120.    MUD  BATH  APPLICATION. 

Ind.  The  application  of  this  form  of  bath  is  as  follows:  the 
patient  undresses,  stretches  out  on  the  bed,  which  consists  of  a 
mattress,  two  woolen  covers,  a  sheet  of  oil  silk  and  a  linen  bed 
sheet.  The  fango  or  the  mud  is  warmed  to  the  degree  prescribed 
by  the  physician  and  is  put  on  the  limb  or  the  part  of  the  body 
to  be  treated.  The  patient  is  then  covered  and  wrapped  up 
tightly.  He  remains  in  this  position  from  one-half  to  one  and  a  half 
hours,  and  is  then  taken  out  and  douched,  both  to  get  clean  and 
to  cool  off.  The  action  of  the  bath  is  thermic,  chemical  and 
mechanical.  Fango  is  said  to  hold  the  heat  better  than  mud  or 


MEDICAL  AND  ELECTRIC-LIGHT  BATHS  243 

sand,  moor  or  linseed  oil.  The  material  is  plastic  like  modeling 
clay,  adapts  itself  well  to  the  form  of  the  body  and  adheres  well. 
Fango  is  said  to  be  rich  in  iron,  alumina,  magnesia,  calcium 
and  alkalies  bound  chemically  to  phosphorus,  sulphur  and 
carbonic  acid. 

It  remains  to  speak  briefly  of  the  various  kinds  of  electric-light 
baths.  I  think  it  will  be  conceded  by  many  that  the  introduction 
and  substitution  of  natural  or  physical  healing  factors,  like  air, 
heat,  water,  exercise  and  light,  instead  of  the  dosing  of  the  human 
system  with  medicines,  has  been  the  greatest  step  forward  taken 
by  therapeutics  in  the  last  twenty-five  years.  The  use  of  direct 
light  rays,  the  so-called  "Lichtheil-Verfahren,"  in  the  treatment 
of  ailments  is  in  many  respects  as  unique  as  it  is  important.  It 
was  known  long  ago  that  sunlight  has  a  beneficial  influence  on  our 
system;  that  it  promotes  circulation,  assimilation  and  increases 
blood  circulation.  Compare  the  pale  face  of  the  miner,  working 
solely  by  artificial  light  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  with  the  ruddy 
face  of  the  farmer.  Pettenkofer  and  Koch  declared  that  light 
rays  kill  many  of  the  pathogenic  bacteria.  An  old  Itajj^fn  proverb 
says,  "Where  the  sun  does  not  enter,  the  doctor  must,"  which 
characterizes  sufficiently  the  value  and  importance  of  light  rays. 

What  the  electric-light  baths  try  to  accomplish  is  the  substitu- 
tion of  the  efficient  and  healing  sunlight  baths.  They  should 
not  be  confounded  with  the  hydro-electric  baths  spoken  of  here- 
tofore. 

It  has  been  found  that  the  blue,  violet  and  ultra-violet  rays 
are  particularly  active  and  beneficial  to  the  nervous  system. 

Electric-light  baths  were  first  introduced  in  1893  by  Dr.  Kellogg, 
of  the  Battle  Creek  Sanitarium  in  Michigan.  These  baths  act 
on  the  system  first,  by  the  heat  which  they  create,  inducing  per- 
spiration; secondly,  by  the  chemical  and  physical  influence  of 
the  light  rays;  according  to  whether  one  or  the  other  are  more 
required  the  baths  are  different;  sometimes  artificial  warmth  and 
light  are  combined  in  the  treatment. 

Leaving  aside  the  Roentgen  rays  application,  first  introduced 
by  Dr.  Finsen,  in  his  light  institute  at  Copenhagen,  Denmark, 


244 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


which  is  a  special  form  of  treatment,  there  are  three  principal 
forms  of  apparatus  for  electric-light  baths:  (1)  The  incandescent- 
light  bath  (Fig.  121),  consisting  of  an  octagonal  box  or  cabinet, 
about  5  feet  high,  lined  inside  with  mirrors  or  white  glass  for 
the  reflection  of  the  rays.  The  box  contains  about  fifty  glow 
lamps,  or  usually  eight  rows  of  six  lamps,  each  of  15-30  candle 
power  and  of  one-half  ampere  strength.  They  are  convenient 
to  use  because  they  exclude  any  danger  of  fire.  In  the  center 

of  the  cabinet  stands  a 
revolving  chair,  on  which 
the  patient  sits,  the  box 
being  then  closed,  so  that 
only  his  head  protrudes. 
All  sides  of  the  body  are 
exposed  to  the  lamps  and 
therefore  heated  uni- 
formly. The  bath  is 
usually  of  twenty  or 
thirty  minutes'  duration, 
at  the  end  of  which  time 
profuse  perspiration  has 
set  in.  A  thermometer, 
conveniently  placed  be- 
fore the  bather,  tells  him 
the  temperature,  which 
can  be  diminished  by 
turning  off  some  of  the 
lights.  Temperatures 

up  to  60°  C.  (140°  Fahr.)  are  taken  in  these  baths,  in  some  cases 
wet  compresses  being  put  on  the  bather's  head.  The  bath  acts 
as  a  tonic,  strengthening,  refreshing  and  stimulating.  It  is 
good  for  gout,  rheumatism  and  obesity,  and  acts  beneficially  on 
the  skin.  After  the  bath  a  cold  wet  rubbing  or  a  short  full 
bath  of  35°  C.  is  administered,  or  sometimes  a  cool  douche. 
Aside  from  the  influence  of  the  rays  of  the  light,  this  bath  is 
largely  an  imitation  of  the  sunlight  bath. 


FIG.  121.    ELECTRIC  GLOW-LIGHT  BATH. 


MEDICAL   AND   ELECTRIC-LIGHT   BATHS 


245 


(2)  The  arc-light  bath.  In  this  bath,  which  is  similar  in 
form  to  the  preceding,  the  light  used  is  the  electric  arc  light. 
Usually  the  cabinet  contains  four  lamps  each  of  ten  amperes 
strength.  The  lamps  are  covered  up  with  sheets  or  panes  of 
blue  glass,  to  exclude  the  red  or  yellow  rays  which  cause  heat. 


FIG.  122.    ELECTRIC  ARC-  AND  GLOW- LIGHT  BATH. 

The  warmth  is  therefore  much  more  gradually  applied.  The 
blue  light  acts  soothingly  on  the  nervous  system;  it  does  not 
weaken  the  patient. 

(3)  The  third  form  of  bath  is  a  combination  of  the  two  pre- 
ceding (Fig.  122).  This  is  by  far  the  best  form,  and  is  used  for 
the  treatment  of  neuralgia,  ischias,  rheumatic  affections,  also  for 
skin  diseases.  The  blue  rays  kill  the  bacteria,  and  some  forms  of 
skin  disease  are  said  to  yield  to  the  electric-light  bath  treatment. 


246  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

One  advantage  which  these  forms  of  baths  have  is  that  they 
are  compact,  occupy  but  little  floor  space  and  can  be  used  in 
private  bathrooms,  provided  electric  current  is  available.  At 
ten  cents  per  kilowatt  a  bath  of  twenty  minutes'  duration  costs 
about  eight  cents. 

Fig.  123  illustrates  a  modern  European   bathroom  in  a  sana- 


FIG.  123.    VIEW  OF  BATH  ROOM  EQUIPPED  WITH  ELECTRIC- 
LIGHT  BATHS. 


torium,  fitted  up  with  different  kinds  of  electric-light  baths,  tub 
baths  and  sprays. 

Sanatoria  and  institutes  containing  medical  baths  are  in  many 
cases  also  equipped  with  mechanical  orthopedic  appliances 
for  the  exercise  and  local  treatment  of  the  muscles  in  various 
parts  of  the  body.  Many  of  these  appliances  were  originally  the 
invention  of  a  Swede,  Gustave  Zander,  and  are,  after  him,  called 
"Zander  apparatus."  There  are  two  principal  kinds  of  these, 
namely,  those  with  active  and  those  with  passive  movements, 


MEDICAL  AND  ELECTRIC-LIGHT  BATHS  247 

the  latter  including  apparatus  for  mechanical  massage.  Among 
the  largest  manufacturers  of  such  appliances  in  Europe  is  the  firm 
of  Rossel,  Schwarz  &  Co.,  of  Wiesbaden,  Germany. 

Exercises  with  such  apparatus  and  medical  gymnastics,  or  the  so- 
called  "Swedish  movements,"  are  generally  prescribed  by  physi- 
cians in  connection  with  some  of  the  medical  baths  mentioned. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES 

THE  character  of  the  supply  of  water  for  bath  houses  is  of 
considerable  importance.  The  supply  should  be  abundant  in 
quantity  and  suitable  in  quality.  It  may  be  derived  either  from 
the  city  water  supply  system  or  else  from  deep  or  artesian  wells, 
and  in  rare  cases  from  springs. 

While  the  water  used  for  bathing  purposes  does  not  require 
to  be  as  clean  and  pure  as  drinking  water,  it  should  be  free  from 
organic  contamination,  from  other  impurities,  and  from  disease 
germs.  Where  a  city  supply  is  used  the  water  may  be  at  times 
so  turbid  as  not  to  look  well  in  the  swimming  bath,  or  in  plunges, 
or  in  the  white  porcelain  bathtubs.  Hence  it  must  be  filtered, 
and  suitable  arrangements  for  a  local  filtration  of  the  water  should 
be  provided. 

To  filter  the  water  used  in  the  rain  or  spray  baths  does  not 
seem  necessary,  and  the  argument  used  in  favor  of  filtration,  that 
the  spray  heads  may  otherwise  stop  up  with  fine  gravel,  can  be 
met  with  by  arranging  the  heads  of  the  showers  to  be  movable  for 
cleaning  purposes. 

If  the  water  is  very  hard  it  is  not  suitable  for  cleansing  baths, 
as  soap  will  not  readily  dissolve,  and  water-softening  plants 
may  then  have  to  be  installed.  It  must  also  be  remembered 
that  hard  water  is  unsuitable  for  use  in  the  steam  boilers  and  in 
the  apparatus  used  for  warming  the  water. 

As  regards  the  quantity  of  water  required,  ample  provision 
for  an  abundant  supply  should  be  made,  particularly  if  the  bath 
house  contains  swimming  baths,  for  these  require  a  very  large  sup- 
ply. The  minimum  hourly  supply  should  be  equivalent  to  about 
one-twelfth  the  contents  of  the  tank  or  plunge.  Tub  baths  require 

248 


WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES         249 

somewhat  less  water,  but  in  estimating  the  quantity  needed  for 
each  bath  tub  allowance  should  be  made  for  the  water  used 
in  the  cold  douche  at  the  end  of  the  bath,  and  also  for  the  addi- 
tional water  required  for  the  cleansing  of  the  tub,  both  of  which 
items  lead  to  increased  consumption. 

Showers  or  rain  baths,  as  we  have  seen,  require  the  least  amount 
of  water  of  any  forms  of  baths.  On  the  average,  showers  or 
sprays  will  run  from  three  to  five  gallons  per  minute,  and  the 
water  consumption  to  be  provided  will  depend  upon  the  duration 
of  the  bath.  In  military  barracks,  school  baths,  and  in  prison 
baths,  the  limit  is  usually  five  minutes,  which  would  make  the 
total  consumption  exceedingly  reasonable  compared  with  the 
consumption  of  either  tub  baths  or  swimming  baths.  It  should 
also  be  noted  that  "douches,"  i.e.,  showers  with  a  solid  stream, 
run  much  more  water  than  spray  heads  with  fine  holes. 

In  a  recent  English  publication  it  is  stated  that  experiments 
on  water  consumption,  carried  out  in  a  public  bath  house,  showed 
that  "slipper"  or  tub  baths  required  from  50  to  70  United  States 
gallons  for  each  bather,  whereas  spray  baths  consumed  from 
12  to  15  United  States  gallons  per  bather. 

A  very  copious  and  liberal  supply  of  water  should  be  provided 
to  make  suitable  provision  for  the  increased  consumption  which 
always  takes  place  during  protracted  hot  spells  of  weather. 

If  one  has  to  depend  upon  a  local  supply  from  an  artesian  well, 
from  which  water  has  to  be  pumped,  storage  tanks  become  neces- 
sary, and  it  is  advisable  to  make  these  very  large.  The  water 
can,  in  that  case,  be  stored  up  either  in  an  attic  or  tower  tank, 
or  else  in  pressure  tanks  located  in  the  basement. 

When  the  supply  is  taken  from  a  city  or  street  main,  it  is  always 
a  safer  plan  to  take  the  water  from  two  mains,  located  in  different 
streets,  and  to  specify  very  large  street  connections  or  branches. 
The  size  of  each  service  should  not  be  less  than  four  inches  in 
diameter;  where  the  pressure  is  low,  a  six-inch  pipe  will  be  better 
than  a  four-inch  one. 

All  engineering  details  embraced  in  the  water  plant  for  a  bath 
house  must  be  carefully  planned,  studied  out  and  specified. 


250  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

While  they  are  comparatively  simple  in  the  case  of  people's  baths, 
in  which  only  spray  baths  are  fitted  up,  they  become  more  com- 
plicated for  those  bath  houses  in  which  both  showers  and  a 
plunge  or  swimming  bath  are  installed. 

The  New  York  State  law  requires  bath  houses  to  be  "open 
to  the  public  for  fourteen  hours";  this  leaves  only  a  few  hours 
in  which  to  do  the  cleaning-out  work  connected  with  the  swimming 
pool.  Accordingly  large  supplies,  large  filters,  large  heaters 
and  also  large  waste  pipes  are  required  in  order  to  accomplish 
the  emptying  and  cleaning  of  the  pool,  the  filtering  and  heating 
of  the  water,  and  the  refilling  of  the  pool  in  a  few  hours. 

Where  the  water  is  charged  for  by  meter  measurement  the 
tax  for  water  used  constitutes  a  very  heavy  annual  item  of  expense; 
hence  where  obtainable  an  auxiliary  supply  from  a  well  is  always 
advisable;  this  will  also  come  in  usefully  in  cases  when  the  street 
mains  are  shut  off  for  temporary  repairs. 

The  hydraulic  plant  of  a  large  bath  house  comprises  service 
mains  with  shut-off  valves,  water  meters,  water  filters,  water 
heaters;  also  occasionally  suction  tanks,  house  pumps,  attic 
storage  tanks  or  else  pressure  tanks,  together  with  air  compressors 
and  air  tanks. 

In  those  cases  where  the  water  pressure  in  the  street  mains  is 
low,  as,  for  instance,  at  the  present  time  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
tanks  are  required  for  the  supply  of  bath  fixtures  situated  on 
floors  higher  than  the  street  floor;  for  when  the  bath  house  is  much 
frequented  and  many  of  the  sprays  are  running  at  one  time,  these 
may  reduce  the  pressure  so  much  that  the  second-floor  fixtures 
cannot  obtain  their  proper  volume  of  water.  Unless  the  tanks 
can  be  located  at  a  suitable  height  above  the  second-floor  shower- 
heads  to  give  a  good  pressure,  it  will  in  many  cases  be  better  to 
install  pressure  tanks  in  the  basement  in  which  any  desired  pres- 
sure for  the  upper  floors  can  be  carried. 

Where  the  bath  house  includes  a  pool  or  plunge,  it  is  well  to 
provide  two  separate  supplies,  one  for  the  pool  exclusively  and 
the  other  for  the  sprays.  According  to  the  size  and  depth  of  the 
pool,  its  supply  should  be  from  four  to  eight  inches  in  diameter. 


WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES         251 

The  supply  to  the  pumps  should  not  be  less  than  four  inches.  The 
down  main  from  the  attic  tank  should  also  be  large,  preferably 
five  or  six  inches  diameter,  so  as  to  insure  a  plentiful  supply  of 
water.  In  determining  the  capacity  of  the  storage  or  the  pres- 
sure tank,  one  should  consider  the  number  of  fixtures  supplied 
by  the  same,  such  as  the  tub  baths,  spray  baths,  the  sanitary  fix- 
tures requiring  flushing,  the  hot-water  tanks  or  heaters,  and  the 
supply  to  the  steam  boilers. 

Regarding  the  means  for  warming  the  water  for  bath  purposes, 
a  number  of  different  methods  are  available,  according  to  the 
quantity  to  be  heated.  For  baths  in  private  houses  the  water- 
back  in  the  kitchen  range  usually  performs  this  function,  but  is 
occasionally  supplemented  by  gas  heaters  and  special  hot-water 
heaters.  In  large  houses  writh  many  bathrooms  it  is  considered 
a  better  and  safer  practice  to  obtain  all  hot  water  from  a  large 
hot-water  tank,  located  in  the  cellar.  This  may  be  heated  by 
high-pressure  steam  if  available,  or  else  it  is  heated  by  a  large  hot- 
water  heater. 

For  public  bath  houses  high-pressure  steam  is,  as  a  rule, 
the  means  used  for  obtaining  large  volumes  of  hot  water.  This 
heats  the  water  either  by  means  of  copper  or  brass  heating  coils 
located  on  the  inside  of  large  hot-water  tanks,  or  regular  feed- 
water  heaters  are  employed;  in  rare  cases  water  is  heated  by  the 
direct  admixture  of  steam  to  water;  another  modified  way  of 
warming  the  water  for  tubs  and  sprays  is  by  means  of  the  "  Gegen- 
strom  apparatus,"  the  many  advantages  of  which  have  already 
been  alluded  to. 

The  problem  of  warming  the  large  volumes  of  water  required 
for  the  swimming  pools  often  offers  perplexing  difficulties.  As  a 
rule,  steam  is  available  from  the  heating  boilers,  and  it  may  be 
used  either  by  forcing  live  steam  directly  into  the  water  of  the 
pool,  or  else  the  cold  water  is  heated  on  its  way  to  the  pool  delivery 
pipe  in  special  mixing  pipes.  The  first-named  method  is  not  to 
be  recommended;  it  is  uncertain  and  noisy;  the  water  in  the  pool 
is  not  heated  uniformly,  and  there  is  some  danger  of  the  bathers 
being  scalded. 


252  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

Sometimes  steam  coils  are  arranged  in  the  bottom  and  along 
the  sides  of  the  pool;  but  this  is  also  not  a  method  to  be  recom- 
mended, for  the  coils  would  form  projections  in  the  pool  which 
are  always  undesirable. 

In  the  case  of  swimming  pools  located  in  the  basement  of  hotels 
or  clubhouses,  where  a  refrigerating  plant  is  installed,  the  tepid 
clean  water  used  in  the  ammonia  condensers  is  often  used  for  the 
purpose. 

The  usual  and  probably  best  method  is  to  provide  large  heaters 
in  which  water  is  warmed  by  circulation  of  live  steam,  and  to 
supply  the  pool  from  the  heaters.  If  the  heaters  are  of  sufficient 
capacity  the  inflow  may  be  continuous,  and  in  this  way  the  most 
sanitary  system  may  be  installed.  It  is  certainly  vastly  superior, 
from  the  point  of  view  of  cleanliness,  to  the  more  usual  system  of 
providing  a  continuous  circulation  of  the  hot  water  from  the  pool 
into  the  heater  and  back  to  the  pool. 

When  no  steam  is  available  some  type  of  hot-water  heater  must 
be  used. 


The  plumbing  of  a  bath  house  should  be  laid  out  in  general  in 
the  same  manner  as  that  of  other  buildings,  and  the  well-known 
rules  of  house  drainage  should  be  observed.  The  quality  of  the 
materials  used  should,  of  course,  be  of  the  very  best  obtainable, 
in  consideration  of  the  unusually  severe  wear  and  tear  to  which 
they  are  necessarily  subjected. 

The  requirements  in  general  are:  sanitary  arrangement,  sim- 
plicity, accessibility,  durability  and  strength. 

All  the  work  must  be  sanitary  in  every  respect,  the  fixtures  must 
be  safely  trapped,  and  all  pipes  must  be  extended  to  the  roof  for 
ventilation.  In  a  bath  house,  above  all,  there  should  not  be  the 
slightest  escape  of  sewer  air  to  pollute  the  atmosphere.  The  work 
must  be  arranged  as  simple  as  possible;  this  is  desirable  with  a 
view  of  keeping  down  the  cost  of  maintenance.  All  work  should 
be  accessible,  in  particular  the  various  shut-off  valves,  the  clean- 
outs  on  the  traps  and  in  the  drain  lines,  in  order  to  facilitate  any 


WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES         253 

repairs  which  may  become  necessary.  But  above  all  else,  the 
work  should  be  durable  and  strong  to  withstand  the  rough  usage 
to  which  it  necessarily  becomes  subjected,  particularly  in  a  people's 
bath  in  tenement  districts,  where  mischievous  boys  abound, 
intent  upon  taking  away  whatever  can  be  unfastened  or  torn  out. 
Bathtubs  require  extra  strong  and  heavy  fittings;  they  should 
be  larger  than  the  sizes  usually  used  for  private  bathtubs,  for  the 


FIG.  124.    KOERTING  MIXING  VALVE. 

tubs  must  be  filled  quickly,  so  as  not  to  keep  the  bathers  waiting 
too  long.  Similarly  the  waste  plugs  and  outlets  as  well  as  waste 
pipes  should  be  made  extra  large  to  empty  the  tubs  quickly. 

In  the  shower-bath  compartments  the  fittings  should  be  extra 
heavy  and  able  to  withstand  rough  pulling  or  bending.  Nickel- 
plating  of  the  brass  work  is  not  advisable,  as  the  nickel  would 
come  off  in  a  very  short  time.  It  is  better  to  use  polished  yellow 
brass,  or  else  the  polished  red  metal  fittings  which  look  very 
well,  and  can  be  kept  bright  at  all  times. 


254  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

Much  care  and  thought  should  be  given  to  the  selection  of  a 
proper  mixing  valve  for  the  showers.  It  is  always  best  to  select 
a  non-scalding  valve,  by  which  is  meant  one  in  which  cold  water 
must  be  turned  on  first  before  hot  water  is  admitted.  There  is  a 
large  variety  of  such  mixing  valves  in  the  market;  selection  is  best 
made  after  a  trial  of  two  or  three  kinds.  The  Figs.  124,  125,  126 

and  127  a  and  b  illustrate 
some  mixing  valves  intended 
to  work  where  hot  and  cold 
water  flow  under  different  pres- 
sures. 

The  shower  or  spray  heads 
must  be  of  such  size  as  to 
give  a  pleasant  shower  without 
wasting  too  much  water.  In 
many  bath  houses  mistakes 
have  been  made  in  this  re- 
spect, resulting  in  increased 
expense  owing  to  the  larger 
quantities  of  water  which  must 
be  heated.  Fig.  128  illustrates 
a  novel  form  of  spray  much 
used  in  German  bath  houses 
and  made  by  the  well  known 

firm  of  Koerting  Bros,  in  Han- 
FIG.  125.    A  GERMAN  MIXING  VALVE.  ~°  ..       „ 

nover.     Another  peculiar  form 

of  shower  head  is  shown  in  Fig.  129,  the  device  being  intended  to 
afford  an  adjustment  as  to  the  amount  of  water  delivered  by  the 
spray  per  minute.  It  would  seem  to  be  admirably  intended  for 
the  purpose. 

Inasmuch  as  it  is  not  usual  to  filter  the  water  used  for  the  rain 
or  spray  baths,  it  is  advisable  to  have  the  faces  of  the  douches 
removable,  so  as  to  clean  out  the  holes  from  time  to  time  or  when 
they  become  stopped  up  with  fine  impurities  from  the  water. 

Floor  drains  are  required  in  many  places  in  a  bath  house,  and 
to  prevent  the  possibility  of  escape  of  sewer  air,  in  cases  where 


WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES         255 

water  should  not  pass  through  them  for  some  time,  it  is  better  to 
use  some  form  such  as  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  82  (Chapter  IX), 
which  closes  much  like  a  gate  valve  when  not  in  actual  service. 

For  the  water-supply  pipes  of  a  bath  house  it  is   best  to  use 
galvanized   wrought  iron  for  the  cold-water  lines,  and  brass  or 


FIG.  126.     ANOTHER  GERMAN  MIXING  VALVE. 

copper  pipes  for  the  hot-water  lines.  The  pipes  should  be  kept 
as  much  as  possible  out  of  reach  of  the  bathers;  they  require  to  be 
well  fastened  and  supported.  It  is  better  to  carry  the  main  and 
larger  supply  lines  at  the  ceiling  of  the  basement.  In  this  case 


256 


MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


all  pipes  require  to  be  wrapped  with  noa-conducting  covering, 
the  cold-water  pipes  chiefly  to  prevent  "sweating,"  and  in  some 
cases  to  prevent  freezing;  the  hot- water  pipes  to  prevent  loss  of 
heat.  A  good  plan,  which  I  have  advocated  for  many  years,  and 
which  on  a  recent  trip  to  Germany  I  found  carried  out  there  much 
oftener  than  here,  is  to  paint  the  various  pipe  lines  in  the  base- 
ment with  different  colors  to  readily  distinguish  them.  Where 


PIG.  127  a  AND  b.    UNIVERSAL  MIXING  VALVE. 

the  pipes  are  covered,  the  covering  may  be  painted  of  the  color 
required. 

The  supplies  should  be  of  ample  size  to  supply  all  fixtures 
quickly;  thus,  supplies  to  tub  baths  should  be  one  inch  to  each  tub, 
and  the  main  branch  for  a  set  of  tubs  should  be  two  or  three  inches. 
The  supplies  to  showers  should  be  three-quarter  inch,  branched 
from  two  or  three  inch  sub-mains.  The  supply  to  a  pool  should 
be  from  4  to  8  inches  in  diameter  according  to  its  size ;  all  shut- 


WATER  SUPPLY  AND  PLUMBING  OF  BATH  HOUSES         257 


offs  on  supply  lines  should  be   full  water  way  gate  valves,    and 
not  globe  valves  or  lever-handle  stopcocks. 

The  waste  pipes  should  likewise  be  generous  in  size;  wastes 
from  shower  or  spray 
baths  should  be  three 
inches,  so  that  the 
water  wrill  run  off  fast ; 
wastes  from  tub  baths 
should  be  not  less  than 
two  inches,  and  the 


FIG.  128.    ADJUSTABLE  SHOWER  HEAD. 


mains  should  be  three 

and  four  inches. 

The  waste  or  emptying  pipe  for  the  pool  should  be  10  to  12 

inches,  or  sometimes  two  6  or  8  inch  waste  pipes  are  arranged. 

The  overflow  from  the  pool  should  be  from  four  to  six  inches, 

and  there  should  be  at  least  two  of  these. 

In  the  following  I  give  an  abstract  from  a  plumbing  specification 

for  a  large  city  bath  house,  fitted  up  with  tubs,  sprays  and  two 

swimming  pools; 
and  I  have  added 
the  paragraphs  from 
the  general  building 
specification  relating 
to  the  waterproofing, 
concreting,  tile  and 
marble  work  for  the 

baths;  also  the  requirements  relating  to  the  heating  of  the  bath 

water,  taken  from  the  steam-heating  specifications.     Many  details 

of  arrangement,  which  I  have  discussed  above  but  briefly,  are 

explained  by  the  specifications. 


FIG.  126.    KOERTING  BATH  SPRAY. 


258  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

SPECIFICATION   FOR   MUNICIPAL   BATH   HOUSE 
GENERAL  CONDITIONS 

§  1.  Digging  and  Filling  In. 

All  necessary  excavation,  whether  same  is  earth,  rock  or  other  material, 
and  all  refilling  of  trenches  required  in  connection  with  the  plumbing  and 
gas  piping,  shall  be  included  in  the  estimate  for  the  plumbing,  and  the 
plumber  shall  arrange  with  the  building  contractor  or  his  excavator  to 
have  the  work  done. 


§  2.  Sewer,  Water  and  Gas  Services. 

lired  sewer,  water  and  gas  services 

and  bring  all  pipes  to  a  point  just  inside  of  the  inner  face  of  the  foundation 

lis  work  at  these  points. 


The  plumber  shall  provide  the  required  sewer,  w 
rid  bring  all  pipes  to  a  point  just  inside  of  the  inner  1 
alls,  and  make  the  required  inside  connections  for  his 


§  3.  Sewer  Connections. 

There  shall  be  two  12-inch  sewrer  connections.     One  of  these  to  be  with 

the  public  sewer  in  Street  and  the  other  with  the  public  sewer  in 

Street.    The  sewer  connections  shall  be  made  with  extra  heavy 

cast-iron  pipe  with  leaded  and  calked  joints.  Wherever  the  soil  in  the 
trench  is  such  as  to  require  special  supports  for  the  pipes,  these  shall  be 
provided  for  under  this  contract  and  without  extra  charge,  the  same  to 
consist  either  of  a  bed  of  hydraulic  concrete  or  of  saddle  piles,  as  the  archi- 
tects may  direct.  The  sewer  connections  shall  be  brought  to  the  inner 
face  of  the  foundation  walls  at  the  points  shown  on  the  drainage  plan. 

§  4.  Water  Connections. 

The  plumber  shall  provide  two  4-inch  water-supply  branches,  one  to 

come  from  the  12-inch  water  main  in  Avenue  ,  the  other  to  come 

from  the  water  main  in  Street.     In  case  no  water  mains  should 

be  available  in  the  twro  streets  mentioned,  the  City  will  provide  suitable 
water-supply  mains  at  the  two  points  in  the  streets  as  shown  on  plan.  Each 
water  connection  shall  be  provided  near  the  main  with  a  4-inch  gate  valve 
and  with  a  looped  connection  to  provide  against  breakage  of  the  service 
by  settlement.  The  two  water-supply  services,  each  4  inches  in  diameter, 
shall  be  run  into  the  building  where  indicated  on  the  water-supply  plan, 
and  all  inside  connections  shall  be  made  at  these  points. 

§  5.  Gas  Connection. 

The  plumber  shall  secure  from  the  gas  company  supplying  this  district 
a  2-inch  service  main  of  plain  black  wrought-iron  pipe  and  run  the  same 
to  the  building  at  the  point  designated  on  the  plans,  and  leave  the  same 
properly  capped  inside  of  the  foundation  walls. 

§  6.  Cutting  of  Walls  and  Floors. 

The  building  contractor  will  provide  all  underground  pipe  channels, 
also  all  holes  and  recesses  or  pipe  channels  shown  on  the  plans,  and  any 
additional  holes  or  chases  required  for  the  work.  He  will  also  do  any 
cutting  of  walls,  floors,  partitions,  etc.,  which  the  plumber  may  require. 
Where  the  pipes  cross  masonry  they  shall  be  encased  in  heavy  "iron  pipe 
sleeves,  which  the  plumber  is  to  furnish  for  the  mason  to  build  'in. 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  259 

§  7.  Assistance  of  other  Trades. 

The  building  contractor  will  provide  all  required  wooden  boards  or 
strips  for  the  plumbing  work.  He  will  also  build  all  brick  piers,  which 
may  be  required  to  support  plumbing  pipes,  likewise  all  cesspools  for  sur- 
face water  drainage,  and  also  all  manholes  about  clean-outs,  traps,  etc. 

The  steamfitter  will  provide  the  four  (4)  hot-water  tanks  specified  under 
his  work,  also  all  necessary  steam  and  return  connections  and  blow-off 
pipes  for  the  same.  The  plumber  shall  provide  all  cold-water,  hot-water 
and  circulating  pipes  and  connections  for  these,  tanks. 

The  building  contractor  will  do  all  cleaning,  painting  or  bronzing  of  all 
exposed  pipes. 

TESTS  OF  THE  WORK 

§  8.  Test  of  Sewers. 

The  plumber  shall  test  the  two  sewer  connections  under  a  hydrostatic 
pressure  of  at  least  thirty  pounds  per  square  inch  and  make  all  joints  tight. 

§  9.  Test  of  Water  Connections. 

The  plumber  shall  test  the  two  4-inch  water  services  under  hydrostatic 
pressure  of  100  pounds  per  square  inch. 

I  10.  Test  of  Gas  Connections. 

The  gas  service  run  by  the  company  from  the  street  main  into  the  build- 
ing shall  be  tested  under  an  air  pressure  equivalent  to  a  column  of  mercury 
20  inches  high.  This  test  may  be  done  by  the  gas  company,  but  if  they  do 
not  put  on  the  test  the  plumber  shall  be  required  to  make  it. 

|  11.  Tests  of  the  Inside  Sewer,  Soil,  Drain,  Waste,  Leader  and  Vent  Pipe  System. 
The  plumber  shall  test  the  entire  inside  sewer-pipe  system,  including 
all  vent  pipes,  and  including  the  roughing  for  the  fixtures  by  a  water-pressure 
test  in  the  manner  as  required  by  the  Building  Department. 

|  12.  Test  of  the  Supply  Pipes. 

The  plumber  shall  test  all  inside  supply  pipes  after  these  are  put  in  po- 
sition, including  all  branches  and  valves,  under  a  hydrostatic  pressure  of 
100  pounds  per  square  inch. 

I  13.   Test  of  the  Gas  Piping. 

The  entire  gas  piping  of  the  building  shall  be  tested  after  its  completion 
and  before  plastering  is  commenced  under  an  air  pressure  equivalent  to 
a  column  of  mercury  20  inches  high. 

I  14.  Test  of  the  Filters. 

The  plumber  shall,  under  the  direction  of  the  architects,  apply  a  capacity 
test  to  the  filters  and  demonstrate  to  their  satisfaction  that  they  furnish 
the  guaranteed  supply  of  water  per  minute. 

5  15.  Final  Test  of  the  Plumbing  Work.  • 

After  completion  the  entire  plumbing  work  shall  be  tested  by  the  plumber 
with  a  smoke  testing  machine  and  oil  of  peppermint  combined,  as  required 
by  the  rules  of  the  Building  Department.  The  plumber  shall  send  proper 
notices  three  (3)  days  in  advance  of  such  tests  to  the  architects'  office,  and 
he  shall  afford  all  proper  facilities  for  the  tests.  He  shall  also  properly 
notify  the  Building  Department  of  all  tests  which  the  Department  may 
require.  He  shall  remove  and  repair  all  defects  which  any  of  these  tests 
may  show.  He  shall  regulate  all  flushing  cisterns  and  their  ball  cocks 
so  as  to  work  noiselessly  and  without  splashing.  He  shall  also  regulate 
all  faucets,  valves  and  the  mixing  valves  for  the  showers. 


260  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

§  16.  Plumbing  Regulations. 

The  plumbing  regulations  of  the  Building  Department  of  the  Borough  of 
Manhattan  shall  be  complied  with  in  every  respect,  and  the  plumber  shall 
be  held  responsible  for  any  violation  of  the  same,  whether  caused  by  omission 
in  the  drawings  or  specifications,  or  by  omission  or  neglect  of  his  mechanics. 

MATERIALS 

§  17.  General  Clauses. 

All  materials  used  under  this  contract  shall  conform  in  quality  with  those 
required  by  the  revised  rules  of  the  Building  Department  of  New  York 
City.  The  plumber  shall  make  any  test  of  the  materials  which  may  be 
called  for  by  the  architects,  at  his  own  cost,  and  under  the  architects' 
direction  and  supervision. 

§  18.  Cast-iron  House  Drains  and  Sewers. 

The  house  sewers  from  a  point  where  they  connect  with  the  public  sewer 
to  front  wall  of  building,  and  any  portions  of  the  house  drains  within  the 
building  which  are  located  below  the  basement  floor,  including  fresh-air 
inlets,  area  and  leader  connections,  shall  be  of  extra  heavy  cast-iron  pipe 
of  the  best  make.  All  joints  shall  be  made  with  oakum  and  pure  pig  bar 
lead. 

§  19.  Iron  Frames  and  Covers. 

The  plumber  shall  provide  all  the  necessary  iron  frames  and  covers  over 
traps,  clean-outs,  valves,  etc.,  located  below  the  floor.  The  size  of  these 
shall  be  sufficient  to  give  proper  access  to  the  clean-outs  or  the  valves,  and 
not  less  than  24  inches  in  diameter. 

§  20.  Wrought-iron  Soil,  Waste  and  Vent  Pipes. 

All  vertical  soil,  waste  and  vent  pipes,  and  all  parts  of  the  horizontal 
house  drains  which  are  not  under  ground  shall  be  of  standard  galvanized 
wrought-iron  pipe  of  sizes  as  shown  on  plans  and  in  sections.  All  fittings 
for  soil  and  waste  pipes  shall  be  the  recessed  galvanized  cast-iron  drainage 
fittings.  Fittings  for  vent  pipes  shall  be  hea-vy  galvanized  steam  fittings 
with  shoulders.  Tee-Y  branches  may  be  used  on  vertical  lines,  but  shall 
not  be  used  in  horizontal  work. 

§  21.  Branch  Waste  and  Vent  Pipes. 

All  branch  waste  and  vent  pipes,  except  those  exposed  at  fixtures,  shall 
be  of  galvanized  wrought  iron,  of  sizes  as  called  for  on  plans.  The  exposed 
branch  waste  and  vent  pipes  at  fixtures  shall  be  of  polished  brass. 

§  22.  Supply  Pipes. 

All  main  lines  of  hot  and  cold  supply  pipes  throughout  the  building  shall 
be  run  with  standard  galvanized  wrought-iron  pipe.  All  fittings  shall 
be  galvanized  and  have  beads  or  shoulders.  All  joints  shall  be  screw 
joints.  All  pipe  supports,  hangers,  clamps  and  holdfasts  shall  be  of  gal- 
vanized iron. 


§  23.  Supply  Pipes  at  Fixtures. 
At  all  fixtures  througl 
be  of  polished  brass,  tni 
exposed,  as  well  as  the  hangers,  clamps  or  holdfasts. 


At  all  fixtures  throughout  the  building  the  exposed  supply  pipes  shall 
be  of  polished  brass,  this  to  include  the  valves  and  air  chambers  where 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  261 

§  24.  Stopcocks  or  Globe  Valves. 

No  ordinary  lever  handle  or  compression  stopcocks  or  globe  valves  shall 
be  used  in  this  work. 

§  25.  Valves. 

All  valves  shall  be  best  quality  polished  brass  gate  valves  of  the  Chapman 
Valve  Manufacturing  Company's  make,  or  other  make  equal  in  quality 
if  approved  by  the  architects.  Valves  below  basement  floor  shall  be  un- 
finished brass  valves  made  accessible  by  the  plumber  by  means  of  valve 
boxes.  All  fixtures  in  the  building  shall  have  separate  shut-offs  on  both 
the  hot  and  cold  water;  this  shall  also  include  all  flushing  cisterns. 

§  26.  Lead  Pipe. 

No  lead  pipe  shall  be  used  in  this  work,  except  lead  bends  for  water- 
closets  and  slop  sinks,  which  shall  be  of  standard  weight.  All  waste  and 
supply  connections  shall  be  of  galvanized  wrought  iron  as  far  as  not  ex- 
posed, and  of  polished  brass  wnerever  exposed  at  the  fixture. 

§  27.  Brass  Pipe. 

All  brass  pipe  used  for  the  exposed  piping  at  the  fixtures  shall  be  polished 
annealed,  drawn  brass  pipe,  of  iron  gauge.  All  pipe  at  slop  sinks  and 
other  places  where  water  may  be  drawn  for  drinking  purposes  shall  be 
tinned  on  the  inside. 

§  28.  Air  Chambers. 

The  plumber  shall  provide  the  proper  sized  air  chambers  to  the  supplies 
to  all  fixtures. 


§  29.  Supplies  to  Heating  Apparatus. 

The  plumber  shall  provide  the  necessary  2^-inch  cold-water  supply 
pipes  for  the  heating  boilers  and  make  all  connections  to  boilers  with  proper 
shut-off  gate  valves. 

§  30.  Pipe  Covering. 

The  plumber  shall  supply  and  put  up  the  best  quality  85  per  cent  mag- 
nesia non-conducting  covering,  approved  by  the  architects,  to  all  the  cold 
and  hot  supply  pipes  exposed  throughout  the  building. 

§  31.  Finish  of  Fixtures. 

The  finish  of  piping  at  all  plumbing  fixtures  shall  be  of  polished  brass. 

§  32.  Traps. 

Each  two  showers  shall  have  a  3-inch  brass  trap  with  polished  brass 
cleaning  screw,  set  flush  in  the  floor,  and  with  3-inch  vent.  Each  bath- 
tub to  be  trapped  by  a  2-inch  extra  heavy  lead  trap  with  1^-inch  vent. 
All  traps  shall  be  smooth  inside  but  rough  outside.  For  each  of  the  two 
groups  of  6-inch  emptying  lines  for  each  swimming  pool  and  for  the  over- 
flows from  pool  connected  thereto,  set  an  8-inch  heavy  iron  trap,  made  of 
fittings  and  with  a  water  seal  of  12  inches  depth. 

§  33.  Floor  Drains  and  Hose  Cocks. 

Wherever  shown  on  plans,  the  plumber  shall  provide  and  fit  up  brass 
"Perfectum"  floor  drains,  with  gate  valve,  as  made  by  the  Henry  Huber 
Manufacturing  Company,  or  other  equally  good  floor  drains,  if  approved 
by_  the  architects.  All  floor  drains  to  have  strainers,  3-inch  outlets  and 
3-inch  traps  without  vents.  For  each  floor  drain  provide  a  f-inch  gal- 
vanized iron  cold-water  supply  and  hose  cock  of  polished  brass. 


262  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

§  34.  Samples. 

The  plumber  shall  submit  samples  of  the  materials  or  fittings  intended 
to  be  used  in  this  work  wherever  called  for  by  the  architects  for  their 
approval.  All  materials  shall  be  equal  in  every  respect  to  that  of  the  samples 
approved  and  selected  by  the  architects. 

§  35.  Protection  of  Work. 

All  traps  in  floors,  floor  drains,  etc.,  shall  be  protected  so  as  to  prevent 
cement  and  lime  filling  the  same;  all  such  material  shall  be  carefully  re- 
moved from  traps,  etc.,  and  all  cutting  and  repairing  of  floors  in  connection 
with  this  work  shall  be  done  by  the  contractor  without  extra  charge. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  FIXTURES 

§  36.  Setting  of  Fixtures. 

The  plumber  shall  furnish  and  set  all  fixtures  included  in  these  plans 
and  specifications.  All  connections  at  fixtures  shall  be  made  in  a  neat, 
finished  and  uniform  manner.  The  setting  of  fixtures  shall  not  be  com- 
menced until  directed  by  the  architects. 

§  37.  Water-Closets  for  Public  Use.^  Description    of  these  is  purposely  omitted 
§  38.  Urinals.  J  here' 

§  39.  Shower  Baths. 

The  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  complete  in  each  shower-bath 
compartment  one  of  Peck's,  Mott's,  Meyer-Sniffen  Company's  or  Henry 
Huber  Company's  inclined  douche  and  rain  bath,  without  thermometer, 
but  with  approved  form  of  mixing  valve.  Same  shall  be  made  entirely 
of  polished  brass,  and  only  the  handle  and  bonnet  part  of  the  mixing  valve 
shall  be  exposed  to  view.  Valve  and  handles  to  be  extra  heavy  and  made 
specially  durable.  For  the  outlet  pipes  in  each  shower-bath  compartment 
provide  and  set  a  5-inch  polished  brass  strainer  of  approved  make,  with 
removable  screw  top.  For  each  two  adjacent  shower  baths,  as  shown  on 
plans  and  in  detail,  provide  3-inch  brass  trap  with  cleaning  plug,  also 
3-inch  waste  connection  of  iron  to  main  drain  in  cellar.  Provide  JJ~inch 
hot  and  cold  supplies  to  each  mixing  valve. 

§  40.  Bathtubs. 

Furnish  and  set  complete,  where  shown  on  plans,  enameled  cast-iron 
roll-rim  tubs  of  the  Standard  Manufacturing  Company's,  or  other  equally 
approved,  tubs.  Length  to  be  5  feet  6  inches.  Tubs  to  be  of  a  pattern 
with  3-inch  wide  roll  rim,  rim  at  end  of  tub  to  be  4  inches.  Fit  up  tubs 
with  polished  brass  connected  overflow  and  waste,  and  with  supplies  to 
floor,  and  wheel  handle  fittings  set  on  top  of  the  roll  rim.  Supply  tubs 
with  hot  and  cold  water  through  f-inch  supply  pipes.  Waste  through 
2-inch  lead  waste,  2-inch  lead  trap  and  1^-inch  vent.  Tubs  to  be  set  on 
cast-iron  painted  feet  with  ball  or  claw  foot. 

§  41.  Engineer's  Sink. 

Furnish  and  fit  up  in  cellar,  where  shown  on  plans,  one  galvanized- 

iron   sink,    with   galvanized-iron   back,    set   on   galvanized-iron   brackets. 

bize  of  sink  to  be  20  inches  by  30  inches.     Waste  through  2-inch  lead  waste, 

2-inch  lead  trap  and  H-inch  vent.     Supply  sink  with  hot  and  cold  water 

irough  J-mch  supplies  and  polished  brass  sink  bibbs,  compression  pattern. 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  263 

§  42.  Slop  Sinks.     (Description  purposely  omitted.) 

§  43.  Water  Meters. 

The  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  on  the  two  water-supply  mains, 
at  the  place  located  on  the  plans,  two  4-inch  water  meters,  the  same  to 
be  either  the  Thompson  or  the  Neptune  water  meters,  of  type  accept- 
able to  the  Water  Department.  Each  meter  shall  be  set  on  strong  wrought- 
iron  supports,  and  with  the  meters  provide  fish  traps,  check  valves  and 
gate  valves,  all  to  be  4  inches  in  size. 

§  44.  Water  Filters. 

The  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  two  double-cylinder  improved 
water  filters,  to  be  either  the  Loomis-Manning  filters  or  other  filters  equally 
good,  if  approved  by  the  architects.  The  filters  to  have  a  capacity  each 
of  150  gallons  per  minute  under  the  available  Croton  pressure.  All  the 
necessary  piping  at  the  filters  shall  be  provided  for,  and  it  shall  be  of  gal- 
vanized iron  throughout.  Each  filter  to  be  provided  with  waste  pipe  and 
with  sight  glass,  also  with  the  required  operating  levers  and  the  four  way- 
valves  of  brass.  When  completed  each  filter  shall  be  painted  three  coats 
of  white  enameled  paint.  The  plumber  to  make  all  necessary  connections 
from  the  water  service  mains  to  the  filters,  also  provide  4-inch  by-pass. 
It  shall  be  understood  that  filtered  water  will  be  required  only  at  the  two 
swimming  pools  and  at  the  steam  boilers,  and  all  the  water  supplied  to 
the  shower  baths  and  to  the  bathtubs,  as  well  as  the  water-closets  and 
other  fixtures,  shall  be  unfiltered  water  as  described  further  on  under  "Ar- 
rangement of  the  Water  Supply." 

§  45.  Hot-Water  Tanks. 

The  four  hot-water  tanks  shown  on  the  plans  of  the  basement  shall  be 
furnished  by  the  steamfitter,  who  shall  also  make  all  the  required  steam 
connections,  and  who  shall  provide  the  non-conducting  materials  for  the 
tanks.  The  plumber  shall  provide  all  the  required  cold-water  supply  con- 
nections to  these  tanks.  Each  supply  to  be  4  inches  for  the  two  heaters  for 
the  swimming  pools  and  3  inches  for  the  two  heaters  for  the  showers.  The 
plumber  shall  also  connect  all  his  hot-water  and  circulation  lines  to  these 
tanks.  He  shall  also  provide  the  required  emptying  pipes  and  emptying 
valves  for  these  tanks.  He  shall  cross-connect  the 'two  tanks  for  the  swim- 
ming pool  so  that  they  may  be  operated  together.  He  shall  also  cross-connect 
the  two  tanks  for  the  shower  baths,  and  all  the  required  valves,  pipes  and 
fittings  for  these  connections  and  cross  connections  shall  be  provided  by 
the  plumber. 

§  46.  Drinking-Water  Filter. 

For  the  drinking  fountain  located  in  front  and  outside  of  the  building 
the  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  a  large-size  Berkefeld,  or  other  equally 
good,  porcelain  cylinder  germ-proof  filter,  the  same  to  have  a  capacity  of 
10  gallons  per  minute  under  40  pounds  water  pressure.  He  shall  run  a  f-inch 
supply  pipe  from  the  sen-ice  main  to  this  filter,  make  all  valve  connections  to 
the  same,  and  run  from  the  filter  a  f-inch  galvanized-iron  supply  pipe  to  the 
drinking  fountain.  This  pipe  shall  be  provided  with  a  stop  and  waste 
valve  in  the  basement  so  that  the  same  can  be  entirely  shut  off  and  emptied 
in  winter  time. 

§  47.  Supplies  to  Heating  Apparatus. 

From  the  filtered  service  line  the  plumber  shall  provide  and  connect 
a  2J-inch  supply  pipe  of  galvanized  iron  to  the  steam-heating  boilers  and 
provide  all  the  necessary  valves  for  the  same.  He  shall  also  supply  any 
steam  boiler  injectors  if  such  are  called  for. 


264  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

§  48.  Sill-Cocks. 

For  each  floor  drain  the  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  a  polished 
brass  f-inch  sill-cock,  of  pattern  acceptable  to  the  architects. 

§  49.  Outside  Sill-Cocks. 

The  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  all  the  outside  sill-cocks  shown  on 
the  plans,  the  same  to  be  supplied  with  water  from  service  branches  taken 
from  inside  of  the  meter,  and  each  to  be  provided  with  stop  and  waste 
valve,  so  that  they  can  be  emptied  and  drained  in  winter  time. 

§  50.  Fire  Lines. 

The  plumber  shall  furnish  and  fit  up  three  fire  standpipes  on  the  first 
floor,  the  same  to  be  taken  from  the  unfiltered  water  service  mains.  The 
standpipes  to  be  located  where  shown  on  plans,  to  be  2£  inches  in  diameter 
and  to  be  provided  with  2£-inch  outlet.  At  each  standpipe  provide  a  2£- 
inch  fire  valve  of  polished  brass  of  the  Chapman  Valve  Manufacturing 
Company's  make;  also  attach  at  each  fire  valve  a  white  enameled  hose 
reel  or  hose  rack,  of  pattern  as  may  be  approved  by  the  architects,  and  with 
each  fire  hose  furnish  100  feet  of  rubber-lined  2^-inch  cotton  hose,  the  same 
to  be  of  the  Underwriter  pattern,  warranted  to  be  safe  under  a  bursting  pres- 
sure of  400  pounds  per  square  inch.  Each  fire  hose  to  be  provided  with 
polished  brass  fire  nozzle. 

SCHEDULE  OF  PLUMBING  FIXTURES 

§  51.  In  Basement. 

Two  (2)  water  meters. 

Four  (4)  hot-water  heaters  (connections  only  to  be  made  by  the  plumber). 

Two  (2)  double-cylinder  filters. 

Two  (2)  water-closets. 

One  (1)  engineer's  sink. 

One  (1)  drinking-water  filter. 

First  Floor. 

Thirteen  (13)  water-closets. 

Six  (6)  urinals. 

Two  (2)  slop  sinks. 

Eight  (8)  bathtubs. 

One  hundred  and  seventeen  (117)  shower  baths.! 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  WATER  SUPPLY 

§  52.  Cold-Water  Supply. 

Main  No.  1.  —  From  water-main  in  Avenue take  a  4-inch  supply, 

with  gate  valve  and  expansion  loop  on  same,  and  run  to  inside  of  west 
wall  of  building  at  point  shown  on  plans.  Place  gate  valve,  fish  trap, 
water  meter,  check  valve  and  another  gate  valve  in  order  named  and  run 
across  basement  ceiling,  avoiding  steam-heating  ducts,  to  filter  room  at 
east  end  of  building.  Run  from  this  line  a  J-inch  supply  to  drinking  foun- 
tain on  west  side  of  building,  connect  line  to  Berkefeld  water  filter  speci- 
fied, and  provide  shut-off  and  waste  or  drip  valve.  Take  from  supply- 
main  No.  1,  outside  of  filter,  a  4-inch  line,  with  two  3-inch  branches,  one 
to  hot-water  heater,  marked  "C-l"  on  plan,  and  the  other  as  a  continuous 
loop  supply  for  men|s  showers.  Connect  the  east  end  of  4-inch  main  to 
filter  marked  "A-l"  on  plan  with  a  4-inch  valved  cross  connection  to 
filter  marked  "A-2,"  to  run  along  ceiling. 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  265 

Main  No.  2.  —  From  water-main  in Street  take  a  4-inch  supply, 

with  gate  valve  and  expansion  loop  on  same,  run  to  inside  of  south  wall 
of  building  at  point  shown  on  plans.  Place  gate  valve,  fish  trap,  water 
meter,  check  valve  and  another  gate  valve  in  order  named  and  connect 
4-inch  line  to  filter  "A-2."  From  this  main,  before  it  goes  to  filter,  run 
a  4-inch  line  with  two  3-inch  branches,  one  to  hot-water  heater  "C-2," 
for  women's  shower  baths,  and  the  other  as  a  continuous  3-inch  cold  supply 
loop  to  women's  showers;  all  these  pipes  to  be  run  on  ceiling. 

Run  a  4-inch  line  from  filter  "A-l,"  with  a  4-inch  branch  to  hot-water 
heater  "B-l,"  for  men's  swimming  pool,  and  another  direct  filtered  4-inch 
cold-water  branch  to  east  end  of  men's  swimming  pool.  This  latter  line  shall 
be  run  to  top  of  swimming  pool  and  shall  be  connected  with  a  branch  from 
the  4-inch  hot  supply  line.  Both  lines  are  to  be  valved,  the  valves  setting 
in  a  brick  pit  under  the  floor  and  connected  together,  so  that  hot,  cold 
or  mixed  water  can  be  discharged  over  the  pool.  Run  a  1^-inch  supply 
from  the  4-inch  unfiltered  main  No.  1  to  fixtures  in  men's  toilet  on  first 
floor,  and  a  1^-inch  supply  from  4-inch  main  No.  2  to  fixtures  in  women's 
toilet  on  first  floor. 

Filter  "A-2"  will  have  branch  lines  running  from  same,  connected 
up  similar  to  those  from  filter  "A-l,"  but  supplying  hot-water  heater 
"B-2"  for  women's  swimming  pool,  and  another  direct  filtered  4-inch 
cold-water  line  at  east  end  of  women's  pool. 

Cross  connect  the  two  4-inch  supplies  that  run  to  the  heaters  "B-l" 
and  "B-2"  for  the  two  swimming  pools,  as  shown  on  plan. 

Provide  six  f-inch  outside  sill-cocks,  properly  valved  and  dripped,  con- 
nected to  the  nearest  unfiltered  lines  and  located  as  shown  on  water  supply 
plan;  also  provide  hose  cocks  with  $-inch  supplies  near  the  floor  drains 
in  waiting-rooms,  toilet-rooms  and  bathrooms. 

A  2J-inch  line,  to  supply  boilers,  will  be  run  from  filter  "A-2." 

§  53.  Hot  and  Cold  Supplies  to  Showers. 

All  £-inch  hot  and  cold  supply  branches  for  showers  and  the  f-inch 
branches  for  bathtubs  shall  be  taken,  not  from  the  main  water  supply 
loop  lines  shown  on  water  supply  plan,  but  from  1^-inch  sub-mains  con- 
nected with  the  loop  lines.  Of  these  there  shall  be  ten  (10)  lines  in  the 
men's  baths  and  six  (6)  lines  in  the  women's  baths,  and  each  of  the  sub- 
mains  for  hot  and  cold  water  shall  be  arranged  with  full-sized  shut-off 
gate  valves,  so  placed  as  to  enable  the  bath  attendants  to  shut  off  the  bath 
compartments  in  sections  without  going  to  the  cellar.  The  sub-mains, 
starting  with  1^-inch  pipes,  may  be  reduced  as  branches  are  taken  off, 
until  the  end  of  the  line  for  the  last  shower  is  £-inch  in  size. 

§  54.  Fire  Lines. 

Provide  to  first  floor  only  three  2£-inch  fire  lines,  connected  to  the  nearest 
unfiltered  line  and  run  as  shown  on  water  supply  plan. 

§  55.  Hot-Water  Supply. 

The  two  hot-water  heaters  "B-l"  and  "B-2"  for  swimming  pools 
shall  be  valved  and  cross  connected,  as  shown,  and  separate  4-inch  lines 
shall  be  run  from  each  of  the  heaters  to  the  two  pools.  These  two  4-inch 
lines  shall  enter  at  the  bottom  of  each  of  the  pools,  a  4-inch  hot-water  branch 
shall  be  run  to  top  of  pool  and  be  connected  to  cold  supply  as  described 
under  "Cold-Water  Supply." 

Two  3-inch  hot  supplies  shall  be  taken  from  the  top  of  the  hot-water 
heater  "C-l"  for  the  men's  showers  and  shall  be  connected  to  form  a 
continuous  loop  and  return  to  the  bottom  of  the  heater.  Supplies  shall 


266  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

be  taken  out  of  this  loop  for  the  outside  showers.  A  3-inch  return  shall 
be  run  from  the  loop  back  to  the  heater  and  from  this  return  l£-inch  branches 
shall  be  taken  for  the  showers  in  the  center  of  the  room.  Provide  check 
valve  on  this  line  before  it  returns  into  the  heater. 

The  hot-water  heater  "C-2"  for  women's  showers  will  have  a  3-inch 
hot  supply  run  from  top  of  heater  and  run  in  the  form  of  a  continuous 
loop  returning  to  bottom  of  heater.  All  hot  supplies  for  the  showers  shall 
be  taken  from  this  loop. 

Run  a  f-inch  hot  supply  from  hot-water  heater  "C-l"  to  slop  sink  in 
men's  toilet-room,  first  floor.  Run  a  i-inch  hot  supply  from  heater  "C-2" 
in  a  similar  manner  to  slop  sink,  in  women's  toilet,  first  floor. 

ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  DRAINAGE 

§  56.  Sewer  Connections. 

There  will  be  two  sewer  connections.  The  plumber  shall  pay  for  the 
permit  for  the  opening  the  streets,  provide  the  required  12-inch  spurs  or 
branches  in  the  street  sewers  at  points  designated  on  the  plans,  do  all  trench- 
ing, excavating,  whether  earth  or  rock,  and  run  the  two  lines  of  12-inch 
sewers  into  the  building.  He  shall  also  do  all  refilling  of  trenches  for  his 
pipes.  For  material  for  the  two  sewer  lines,  see  under  "  Sewer  Connections." 

§  57.  North  Sewer. 

The  north  sewer  shall  make  connection  with  the  street  sewer  in 

Street.  It  shall  be  12-inch  inside  diameter.  It  shall  be  provided  with 
a  12-inch  house  trap,  and  with  an  8-inch  fresh-air  inlet.  Outside  of  the 
house  trap  provide  on  this  sewer  a  12-inch  by  3-inch  Y  branch  for  a  boiler 
blow-off  pipe,  and  run  this  pipe  to  inside  of  building,  at  which  point  the 
steamfitter  shall  connect.  Provide  an  8-inch  branch  running  in  a  westerly 
direction,  which  branch  shall  take  all  waste  pipes  from  the  men's  baths, 
also  two  outside  4-inch  leaders,  two  inside  5-inch  leaders,  and  seven  3-inch 
floor  drains. 

Provide  another  8-inch  branch  running  south,  which  shall  take  the  two 
waste  and  four  overflow  pipes  from  the  men's  swimming  bath,  and  which 
shall  also  have  3-inch  emptying  pipe  for  the  hot-water  tank  "C-l,"  as 
shown,  and  four  3-inch  floor  drains. 

Provide  a  third  6-inch  branch  which  will  take  the  drain  pipes  from  the 
men's  toilet-room,  one  3-inch  outside  leader,  also  the  engineer's  toilet 
water-closets  and  sink,  also  one  outside  4-inch  leader  at  east  end  of  build- 
ing, and  a  3-inch  emptying  pipe  from  the  hot-water  tanks  "B-l"  and 
"B-2,"  and  two  3-inch  floor  drains. 

The  12-inch  main  house  sewer  shall  be  located  below  the  floor,  like- 
wise the  8-inch  branch  for  the  swimming  bath,  and  the  6-inch  branch  for 
the  basement  water-closets.  All  pipes  for  the  wastes  from  the  shower 
baths  and  bathtubs  shall  be  carried  at  the  ceiling  of  the  cellar,  and  shall 
be  so  located  and  run  that  they  will  not  interfere  with  the  heating  and  vent 
ducts. 

For  the  main  male  toilet-room  set  one  5-inch  vent  pipe  extending  up 
through  the  highest  roof.  This  main  vent  shall  have  all  the  required 
branches  for  the  venting  of  the  basement  and  first-floor  toilet-room  fixtures, 
as  shown  on  the  plans  and  in  the  sections.  The  plumber  shall  also  provide 
the  required  vent  lines  for  the  traps  of  the  bathtubs  and  shower  baths, 
all  as  per  plans  and  sections. 

58.  South  Sewer. 

This  sewer  shall  make  connection  with  the  sewer  in Street.     It 

shall  be  12  inches  in  diameter.     It  shall  be  provided  with  a  12-inch  house 


SPECIFICATION   FOR   MUNICIPAL  BATH   HOUSE  267 

trap,  and  with  an  8-inch  fresh-air  inlet.  This  house  sewer  shall  have 
four  principal  branches,  two  to  be  8  inches  in  diameter,  and  two  6  inches. 
One  8-inch  branch  shall  be  for  all  the  wastes  from  bathtubs  and  showers 
from  the  women's  bath,  one  floor  drain,  one  2-inch  waste  and  overflow 
from  outside  fountain  on  west  wall,  also  for  two  4-inch  outside  and  two 
5-inch  inside  leaders.  The  other  8-inch  branch  shall  be  for  two  waste 
and  four  overflow  pipes  from  the  women's  swimming  bath,  and  for  the 
3-inch  emptying  pipe  for  hot-water  heater  "  C-2,"  and  four  3-inch  floor 
drains. 

One  6-inch  line  shall  be  for  the  waste  from  the  women's  toilet  room 
the  other  6-inch  line  shall  take  in  a  3-inch  outside  leader  and  one  3-inch 
floor  drain  and  run  up  to  the  ceiling,  and  extend  to  the  east  end  of  the  build- 
ing, there  to  receive  the  waste  from  one  outside  4-inch  leader,  and  the 
emptying  pipes  from  the  two  large  filters  "  A-l  "  and  "A-2." 

On  this  sewer  line  the  plumber  shall  set  one  5-inch  main  vent  pipe  for 
the  women's  toilet-room  fixtures,  with  all  the  required  branch  vent  lines 
for  the  fixtures.  The  plumber  shall  also  provide  and  run  all  the  required 
vent  lines  for  the  bathtub  and  shower  bath  traps,  as  shown  in  plans  and 
sections. 

All  lines  of  vent  pipes  shall  be  carried  up  as  straight  as  possible  to  the 
roof  but  all  necessary  offsets  shall  be  provided  by  the  plumber.  All  pipes 
shall  terminate  at  the  roof  at  such  a  height  as  the  architects  shall  direct. 

§  59.  The  Sizes  of  Branches  to  fixtures  shall  be  as  follows: 

For  each  water-closet 4-inch 

For  each  slop  sink 3  " 

For  every  two  shower  baths 3  " 

For  each  bathtub 2  " 

For  each  urinal 2  " 

For  each  sink 2  " 

For  each  basin 2  " 

For  each  floor  drain 3  " 

For  each  swimming-bath  emptying  pipe 6  " 

For  each  overflow  branch  pipe  for  the  gutter  near  the  top 

of  swimming  pool 6  " 

For  each  inside  leader 5  " 

For  each  outside  leader 3-inch  and  4  " 

For  drinking  fountain  waste  and  overflow 2  " 

There  shall  be  one  line  of  4-inch  soil  pipe,  one  line  of  2-inch  waste  pipe 
two  lines  of  5-inch  soil  and  waste,  two  lines  of  4-inch  vent  pipes  and  eleven 
lines  of  3-inch  vent  pipes,  each  line  to  have  all  the  required  and  necessary 
branches. 

§  60.  Arrangement  of  the  Gas  Piping. 

The  building  shall  be  piped  for  gas,  as  indicated  on  the  drawings,  ac- 
cording to  the  rules  of  the  gas  company.  The  plumber  shall  provide  a 
2-inch  service  pipe  and  shall  do  the  entire  piping  inside  with  plain  black 
wrought-iron  (not  steel)  gas  pipes,  and  with  galvanized  malleable  fittings 
with  beads.  All  joints  shall  be  screw  joints,  made  permanently  gas  tight 
without  the  use  of  gas-fitters'  cement  and  without  filling  the  pipes  with 
water.  The  plumber  shall  provide  all  the  gas  outlets  shown  on  the  archi- 
tects' plans.  All  gas  risers  and  distributing  pipes  shall  be  of  ample  and 
sufficient  size  to  supply  the  lights  indicated  on  plans.  No  pipe  shall  be 
smaller  than  f-inch  in  diameter.  A  separate  1-inch  gas  riser  shall  be 
run  from  the  gas  meter  to  the  janitor's  kitchen,  and  outlets  shall  be  there 
provided,  with  shut-off  valve,  both  for  the  gas  range  and  for  the  gas  water 


268  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

heater  All  eas  pipes  shall  be  run  with  a  pitch  back  toward  the  riser  and 
gas  meter.  For  height  of  side  lights  consult  the  architects'  office.  All 
drop  pipes  shall  be  perfectly  plumb  and  all  nipples  shall  be  of  the  proper 
length  for  putting  on  the  fixtures  without  marring  the  plastering.  I  he 
completed  gas  piping  shall  be  tested  by  the  plumber  with  an  air  pump 
and  mercury  gauge  under  pressure  of  20  inches.  The  gauge  shall  stand 
for  an  hour  without  indicating  a  fall  greater  than  J  inch.  All  gas  leaks 
and  defects  in  the  piping  shall  be  made  good  by  the  plumber.  The  plumber 
shall  see  that  the  gas  company  brings  in  the  gas  service  at  the  proper  point 
designated  by  the  architects.  Gas  pipes  to  be  run  inside  of  brass  frames 
for  showers  where  outlets  are  indicated. 

§  61.  Patents. 

The  plumber  shall  and  does  hereby  guarantee  that  any  plumbing  work 
installed  or  plumbing  material  used  does  not  infringe  upon  any  patents, 
and  in  the  event  of  patents  having  been  issued  covering  any  material  used 
by  the  plumber  and  claimed  by  the  patentee  as  an  infringement  the  plumber 
shall  obtain  from  the  patentee  a  statement,  in  writing,  giving  him  the  privi- 
lege of  using  such  material,  and  he  shall  further  agree  to  pay  any  royalties 
claimed  by  the  patentee,  and  also  to  hold  the  City  of  New  York  harmless 
in  the  event  of  any  patent  litigation. 

§  62.  Hot-Water  Service  Tanks. 

i  For  heating  the  water  for  the  showers,  furnish  and  set  up  with  all  re- 
quired supports,  two  Davis  hot-water  service  heaters,  or  equal  and  ap- 
proved, each  to  be  45  inches  in  diameter  by  156  inches  long,  and  of  suffi- 
cient capacity  to  raise  the  temperature  of  5,500  gallons  of  water  per  hour 
from  40°  Fanr.  to  120°  Fahr.  with  steam  at  5  Ibs.  pressure. 

For  heating  the  water  of  the  plunge  tanks,  furnish  and  set  two  (2)  I.  B. 
Davis,  or  equal  and  approved  hot-water  service  heaters,  one  38  inches 
in  diameter  by  108  inches  long,  and  one  29  inches  in  diameter  by  105  inches 
long.  These  heaters  to  be  of  sufficient  capacity  to  raise  the  temperature 
of  6,000  and  4,000  gallons  respectively  in  one  hour  from  40°  Fahr.  to  80° 
Fahr.  with  steam  at  5  Ibs.  pressure. 

The  shells  of  all  these  heaters  shall  be  built  of  the  best  boiler  steel  7-16 
inches  thick  with  7-16-inch  heads;  the  effective  heating  surface,  consisting 
of  seamless  drawn,  brass  tubing,  tested  to  500  Ibs.  inside  pressure  before 
being  used.  Leave  all  necessary  inlets  and  outlets  in  the  heater  for  water, 
steam,  and  blow-off,  drip,  thermometers,  and  thermostat  connections, 
each  heater  to  have  three  handholes,  plates  and  accessories.  All  con- 
nections except  water  connections  to  be  made  by  the  steamfitter.  When 
completed  the  heater  shall  be  tested,  and  proven  tight  under  hydraulic 
pressure  of  150  Ibs.  before  leaving  the  shop. 

§  63.  Temperature-Regulating  Apparatus. 

For  each  of  the  hot-water  tanks  supplying  the  swimming  pools,  there 
will  be  two  thermostats  which  will  control  the  diaphragm  valves  placed 
upon  the  main  pipes  and  upon  by-passes  to  same. 

There  will  also  be  furnished  for  the  two  hot-water  tanks  used  for  shower 
baths  two  thermostats  for  each  tank,  controlling  diaphragm  valves  in  a 
similar  manner. 

§  64.  N on-Conducting  Covering. 

Furnish  material,  and  cover  the  hot-water  service  tanks  with  asbestos 
blocks  1£  inches  thick,  outside  of  which  will  be  applied  half  inch  of  plaster 
and  the  whole  covered  with  canvas. 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  269 

§  65.  Concrete  Work  for  Swimming  Pools. 

Erect  the  necessary  planking  and  fill  in  between  and  at  back  and  front 
of  vertical  and  horizontal  steel  beams,  and  between  and  around  steel  floor 
beams,  forming  walls  and  floors  of  swimming  pools,  with  concrete  composed 
of  one  part  Atlas  Portland  cement  or  other  brand  equally  acceptable  to 
the  architects;  2  parts  clean  sharp  grit  sand,  and  five  (5)  parts  of  hard 
trap  rock  or  granite,  broken  to  a  size  to  pass  through  a  1-inch  ring;  con- 
crete to  be  well  rammed  and  grouted. 

§  66.  Concrete  Work  }or  Shower-Bath  Compartments. 

Cover  the  floor  immediately  under  each  dressing  and  shower-bath  com- 
partment with  concrete  composed  of  one  (1)  part  approved  Portland  cement, 
two  (2)  parts  clean  sharp  grit  sand  and  six  (6)  parts  of  gravel,  dished  and 
countersunk  as  indicated  on  detail  drawing,  top  coating  to  be  of  grano- 
lithic composed  of  one  (1)  part  of  fine  gravel,  laid  smooth  and  even  through- 
out and  rounded  on  internal  and  external  angles  and  set  to  form  a  curved 
base  to  receive  marble  lining  and  partitions.  Flooring  in  dressing  com- 
partments to  be  laid  with  a  slight  pitch  toward  shower  floor  drains;  all  of 
this  work  shall  be  done  before  marble  partitions  are  set. 

§  67.  Concrete  Preparation  for  Finished  Flooring  and  Sleepers. 

It  is  intended  that  finished  flooring  for  all  floors  and  for  swimming  pools 
shall  include  the  concrete  preparation  for  same  from  the  level  of  the  top 
of  the  fireproof  floor  construction.  Over  the  finished  waterproofing  lay 
a  bed  of  concrete  to  receive  finished  flooring,  composed  of  one  (1)  part  of 
approved  Portland  cement,  two  (2)  parts  sand,  and  six  (6)  parts  of  gravel, 
on  top  of  this  concrete  lay  the  finished  flooring  with  bed  for  same.  Build 

of  both 


into  the  concrete  flooring  forming  bottom  of  both  swimming  pools  a  con 
tinuous  binder  composed  of  No.  18  gauge  expanded  metal,  coated  with 
asphalt,  lapped  3  inches  and  thoroughly  wired  together. 

§  68.  Special  Waterproofing  in  Connection  with  Pipes. 

Waterproofing  in  connection  with  pipe  thimbles  passing  through  walls 
and  in  connection  with  shower  bath  drainage  and  supply  pipes,  etc.;  and 
all  steam  pipes,  electric  conduits,  etc.,  to  be  done  in  a  specially  careful 
manner  with  sheet  lead  soldered  on  to  pipes,  the  method  of  all  such  work 
to  be  submitted  to  the  architects  for  approval  before  doing  the  work. 

§  69.  Waterproofing  of  Swimming  Pools. 

The  swimming  pools  shall  be  entirely  waterproofed  with  six  layers  of 
felt,  each  layer  solidly  cemented  together  and  covered  on  top  with  coal 
tar  pitch,  connect  this  waterproofing  in  the  floors  of  the  rooms.  The  con- 
tractor shall  use  every  precaution  in  this  work  (with  a  view  to  the  strict 
requirements  of  his  guarantee)  to  make  the  pools  absolutely  water-tight, 
especial  care  shall  be  taken  in  making  waterproofing  water-tight  around 
pipe  connections  into  the  pools,  the  method  of  this  construction  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  architects  for  approval  before  the  execution  of  the  work. 

The  entire  concrete  floors  and  walls  of  the  pools  shall  be  heavily  coated 
with  hot  asphaltic  cement  before  laying  the  felt,  and  the  waterproofing 
shall  be  built  into  the  walls  at  intervals  in  the  .height  to  prevent  slipping. 

§  70.  Waterproofing  in  Rooms  for  Shower  Baths,  etc. 

On  top  of  finished  concrete  of  floor  construction  lay  four  (4)  layers  of 
felt,  each  layer  solidly  cemented  together  and  covered  on  top  with  cement- 
ing material;  turn  this  waterproofing  back  of  shower-bath  compartments 
and  on  all  walls  and  partitions  throughout  up  to  the  height  of  12  inches, 
special  care  to  be  taken  in  connecting  waterproofing  to  all  pipes  passing 
through  the  floors  and  walls  and  to  floor  drains  in  shower-bath  compart- 
ments. 


270  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

§  71.  Warranty  far  Waterproofing. 

All  waterproofing  shall  be  done  in  the  best  and  most  workmanlike  manner; 
only  the  best  materials  are  to  be  used,  and  all  of  the  work  is  to  be  left  per- 
fectly tight  and  an  absolute  protection  against  water  and  dampness  is  to 
be  provided.  All  of  this  work  shall  be  and  hereby  is  guaranteed  by  the 
contractor  for  the  period  of  two  (2)  years  and  all  leaks  are  to  be  made  water- 
tight during  such  period. 

§  72.  Face  Brick  for  Men's  Swimming- Pool  Room. 

The  walls  of  the  men's  Natatorium,  from  the  level  of  the  enameled  brick 
wainscoting  to  the  ceiling,  to  be  faced  with  best  Quality  selected  vitreous 
face  brick  of  standard  size,  satisfactory  to  the  architects,  and  of  color  to 
be  selected,  laid  in  running  bond,  bonded  into  the  walls  every  sixth  course 
in  height  with  full  headers.  All  arches  to  be  formed  of  bonded  voussoirs, 
flat  arches  to  be  set  with  a  slight  camber. 

§  73.  Enameled  Brick. 

All  enameled  brick  to  be  first  quality  selected  white  enameled  brick 
of  standard  English  size,  laid  in  running  bond,  bonded  into  the  walls  with 
clip  bonding  every  sixth  course  in  height.  It  is  required  that  the  brick 
to  be  selected  shall  have  been  used  in  at  least  three  prominent  buildings. 
It  must  be  guaranteed  against  crazing,  and  must  be  straight,  true  and  of 
even  color  throughout.  Joints  not  to  exceed  3-16ths  inch  in  thickness, 
and  to  be  jointed  with  a  steel  jointer,  mortar  to  be  as  specified. 

§  74.  Waiting-Rooms. 

Enameled  brick  to  be  used  as  follows: 

The  walls  in  waiting-rooms  for  men  and  for  women  (except  in  attendant's 
office)  to  be  faced  with  enameled  brick  to  the  level  of  top  of  window  sills, 
enameled  brick  to  be  raised  up  from  the  finished  floor  level  at  bottom  to 
admit  of  1  inch  of  terrazzo  base,  the  face  of  wainscoting  to  be  set  out  from 
the  walls  f  of  an  inch,  so  that  face  of  enameled  brick  and  face  of  plastering 
above  will  be  flush,  wainscoting  to  be  finished  on  top  with  a  special  enameled 
brick  cap  molding  and  neck  molding  to  match  enameled  brick  in  color 
and  material,  with  rounded  edges,  rounded  angle  brick  to  be  formed  for 
all  exterior  angles.  Cap  molding  to  be  set  out  from  face  of  wainscoting 
to  receive  plaster  trims  of  windows,  with  returns  rounded  at  door  trims. 

§  75.  Joints  in  enameled  Brick  Work. 

All  joints  in  enameled  brick  work  on  the  face  shall  be  raked  out,  and 
pointed  up  when  directed,  so  as  to  avoid  spalling  of  the  glazed  edges  of 
bricks  through  pressure. 

§  76.  Cleaning  of  Face  Brick  and  Enameled  Brick. 

All  face  brick  and  enameled  brick  shall  be  neatly  pointed  writh  mortar 
as  specified,  and  cleaned  down  at  completion  with  fiber  brushes  and  water, 
no  acid  to  be  used,  and  left  perfect  and  clean  throughout  to  the  entire  sat- 
isfaction of  the  architects. 

§  77.  Protective  Casings  for  Face  Brick  and  Enameled  Brick. 

The  contractor  will  be  held  strictly  to  account  for  the  care  and  preserva- 
tion of  all  face  brick  work  and  enameled  brick  work,  and  shall  take  such 
precautions  and  use  all  necessary  protective  casings  of  boards  and  other 
materials  to  protect  same  from  injury. 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  271 

§  78.  Bathroom  Seats. 

Wooden  seats  in  connection  with  shower  baths,  and  bathtub  rooms, 
to  be  of  oak  to  match  the  trim  of  rooms,  1£  inches  thick,  with  rounded 
edges.  Seats  to  be  secured  on  underside  to  oak  cleats  bolted  to  the  marble 
and  to  be  set  with  a  slight  pitch  toward  outer  edge. 

§  79.  Doors  to  Shower  Baths,  Bathtub  Rooms  and  Water-Closets. 

Doors  to  shower-bath  compartments,  bathtub  rooms,  and  water-closets 
in  toilet-rooms  to  be  paneled  as  shown  and  1J  inches  thick,  and  hung 
on  marble  partitions  and  brass  frames  with  approved  box  flange  hinges 
as  specified  under  "Hardware,"  and  set  to  remain  open,  doors  to  be  raised 
up  from  the  floor  as  shown. 

§  80.  Coat  Hooks. 

Coat  hooks  to  be  of  solid  bronze,  4  inches  over  all,  with  two  points  to 
each  hook,  bolted  through  the  marble  partitions,  with  all  required  bolts, 
nuts,  etc.  Each  shower-bath  dressing-room  to  have  four  hooks,  each 
water-closet  compartment  to  have  two  hooks,  each  bathtub  room  to  have 
four  hooks. 

§  81.  Metal  Numbers. 

Each  shower-bath  compartment  and  bathtub  room  to  have  approved 
composition  metal  numbers  on  doors. 

§  82.  Plumbing  Pipes. 

All  exposed  iron  plumbing  pipes  shall  be  cleaned  and  painted  two  (2) 
coats  of  paint,  sandpapered,  and  one  (1)  coat  of  aluminum  bronze  varnish, 
except  in  cellar,  where  they  shall  be  painted  two  (2)  coats  of  paint. 

§  83.  Marble  Work. 

All  marble  work,  throughout,  including  all  marble  for  plumbing,  wain- 
scoting, partitions,  etc.,  to  be  best  quality  carefully  selected  uniformly  light- 
veined  Italian  marble,  well  fitted,  carefully  and  properly  set  with  close 
joints,  with  all  exposed  surfaces  and  edges  well  polished.  All  edges  to 
be  rounded  with  J-inch  radius.  The  thicknesses  specified  shall  be  in 
the  finish.  All  marble  shall  be  filled  in  solid  at  the  back  with  gauged  mor- 
tar, and  carefully  set  in  plaster  of  Paris,  and  anchored  together  with  polished 
brass  angles,  bolted  through  marble  and  clamped  and  secured  with  brass 
clamps,  brass  bolts  and  screws  in  the  most  substantial  manner.  The  use 
of  iron  angles,  iron  wire,  etc.,  will  not  be  permitted. 

§  84.  Marble  Wainscoting,  Partitions,  etc. 

Wainscoting  around  all  walls  of  shower  bathrooms  for  men  and  for 
women,  and  at  back  and  ends  of  shower  baths  and  dressing  compartments 
and  bathtub  rooms  to  be  f  inch  thick  and  7  feet  high  from  finished  floor, 
allowing  for  1  inch  of  granolithic  and  terrazzo  base.  Shower-bath  compart- 
ment partitions  to  be  of  same  height,  1J  inches  thick,  fronts  to  be  1J  inches 
thick  and  7  feet  high  from  finished  floor  and  raised  up  from  the  floor  6 
inches.  Marble  in  angles  in  shower-bath  compartments  to  be  $  inch 
thick  and  of  sufficient  width  to  cover  plumbing  and  to  be  the  full  height 
of  partitions  in  two  pieces  with  £-inch  caps  on  top,  all  to  be  secured  with 
round-head  brass  screws  for  access  to  plumbing.  Wainscoting  around 
all  walls  of  bathtub  rooms  to  be  $  inch  thick,  7  feet  high  from  finished 
floor,  allowing  for  1  inch  of  terrazzo  base;  dividing  partitions  in  bathtub 
rooms  to  be  same  height,  1}  inches  thick,  fronts  to  be  1J  inches  thick,  and 
7  feet  high  from  finished  floor  and  raised  up  from  the  floor  6  inches. 


272        MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

Entrance  vestibules  to  shower-bath  rooms  for  men  and  for  women  to 
have  marble  wainscoting  in  vestibules  on  all  walls,  and  on  shower-bath 
room  on  all  sides,  f  inch  thick  and  9  feet  high,  inclusive  of  2-inch  molded 
cap  molding  on  both  sides. 

§  85.  Marble  Pedestals. 

Marble  pedestals  at  easterly  end  of  swimming  pools  to  be  of  specially 
sele«ted  white  Italian  marble  and  cut  out  of  the  solid  according  to  full- 
size  detail  drawings,  all  moldings  to  be  carefully  cut,  all  edges  and  angles 
to  be  rounded,  pedestals  to  be  carefully  anchored  in  wall  below  with  brass 
anchors,  all  joints  to  be  made  water-tight,  do  all  required  cutting  and  drill- 
ing in  pedestals  for  plumbing  connections  and  for  brass  railings;  orna- 
mental heads  shown  on  pedestals  will  be  of  bronze  and  will  be  furnished 
and  set  as  specified  under  "Structural  Steel  and  Iron  Work." 

§  86.  Brass  Frames,  Railings,  etc. 

Brass  frames  on  all  shower-bath  and  tub  bath  rooms,  and  on  toilet- 
room  partitions,  to  be  constructed  of  2-inch  heavy  polished  brass  pipe, 
of  standard  pipe  size  and  of  color  to  correspond  to  plumbing  pipes,  for 
the  support  of  partitions  and  screens  on  top.  The  supporting  legs  under 
partitions  to  be  constructed  according  to  design  shown,  of  same  material. 
On  the  sides  of  the  compartments  of  each  shower  and  in  all  bathtub  rooms 
as  indicated  on  the  drawings,  set  brass  wire  screens  in  brass  channel  frames 
neatly  fitted  to  top  of  partitions  and  brass  supporting  frames,  channels 
to  be  1  J-inch  inside  diamond  mesh  set  in  brass  frames,  secured  to  channels. 
All  of  this  work  to  correspond  in  finish  to  supporting  frames  and  legs  for 
partitions. 

§  87.  Brass  Railings  and  Ladders. 

Railings  around  each  swimming  pool  on  the  level  of  aisles,  and  hand 
rails  around  all  sides  of  pools  at  the  level  of  overflow  gutters,  and  all  ladders 
on  sides  of  pools  shall  be  constructed  of  heavy  polished  brass  pipe  of  stand- 
ard pipe  sizes  with  screwed  joints  so  constructed  that  no  portion  of  threads 
will  be  visible,  all  connections  and  flanges  to  be  made  according  to  full- 
size  detail  drawings  and  to  be  rounded  ball  connections  with  all  edges  of 
flanges  rounded.  Flanges  at  floors  to  be  rounded  out  to  finish  flush  with 
the  floors  and  to  be  secured  into  wrought-iron  pipe  anchors  filled  with 
cement  mortar,  one  (1)  part  approved  Portland  cement  and  two  (2)  parts 
sand  and  built  into  the  concrete  of  floors  during  construction  of  same  and 
bolted  to  steel  beams.  Iron  pipes  to  be  painted  two  (2)  coats  of  asphalt 
paint  and  to  be  constructed  on  top  for  connecting  brass  standards  of  rail- 
ings and  ladders.  Where  the  waterproofing  under  floors  and  back  of 
walls  is  perforated  for  connections,  sheet  lead  flashing  shall  be  used,  hand 
rails  at  the  level  of  overflow  gutters  to  be  secured  in  a  similar  manner. 
Railings  on  level  of  aisles  to  have  two  (2)  inch  top  rails  and  standards 
and  l|-inch  intermediate  rails  and  1^-inch  braces  for  standards  which 
shall  be  secured  to  top  edge  of  overflow  gutters. 

Hand  rails  at  level  of  overflow  gutters  to  be  1^-inch  with  1-inch  braces 
and  standards,  secured  into  walls  and  top  edge  of  gutters. 

Ladders  in  swimming  pools  to  have  two  (2)  inch  pipe  strings  and  1^- 
inch  railings  and  braces,  and  heavy  brass  tread  sockets,  and  6  x  H  inch 
selected  locust  wood  treads,  rounded  at  all  angles  and  edges  and  secured 
with  brass  machine  screws  to  brass  tread  sockets,  treads  to  be  covered 
with  heavy  fluted  rubber.  All  of  this  work  shall  be  secured  together  in 
best  manner  and  made  firm  and  rigid  and  left  clean,  well  polished  and 
perfect  throughout  at  completion  of  building  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
architects.  All  of  this  work  shall  be  thoroughly  protected  with  vaseline 
and  covered  with  muslin  securely  tied  on  until  removal  is  ordered  by  the 
architects,  and  finally  cleaned  and  polished. 


SPECIFICATION  FOR  MUNICIPAL  BATH  HOUSE  273 

§  88.  Glass  Work. 

The  swimming  pools  shall  be  lined  on  all  sides  with  best  quality  white 
glass  of  manufacture  acceptable  to  the  architects,  and  equal  to  sample 
in  architects'  office ;  glass  to  be  of  largest  possible  dimensions  and  free 
from  waves,  flaws  and  imperfections  of  any  kind,  finished  on  all  exposed 
surfaces  with  a  smooth  dull  polish  satisfactory  to  the  architects,  all  slabs 
to  be  at  least  J  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  all  edges  to  be  ground  to  true  lines 
and  to  fit  accurately.  All  of  this  work  shall  be  set  against  a  backing  com- 
posed of  one  (1)  part  Atlas  Portland  cement  or  other  equally  acceptable 
to  architects,  and  two  (2)  parts  clean,  sharp  grit  sand,  roughly  scored  over 
all  surfaces.  Glass  to  be  filled  in  the  back  with  thoroughly  slacked  gauged 
mortar,  and  carefully  set  in  plaster  of  Paris  with  close  joints,  and  thoroughly 
anchored  into  walls  and  together  with  heavy  brass  wire,  brass  bolts  and 
anchors,  no  iron  shall  be  used  for  this  work.  Where  joints  are  uneven 
in  setting  they  shall  be  carefully  ground  to  even  surfaces  and  polished. 

§  89.  Cutting,  Drilling  and  Repairing. 

Do  all  drilling,  cutting  and  repairing  of  glass  required  for  railings,  ladders 
and  plumbing  connections  and  for  the  work  of  other  mechanics  and  finish 
up  after  them. 

§  90.  Guarantee  for  Glass  Work. 

The  contractor  shall  and  does  hereby  guarantee  all  glass  work  against 
loosening,  swelling,  falling  off,  and  cracking  for  a  period  of  two  years. 
All  of  this  work  shall  be  left  clean  and  in  a  perfect  condition  at  completion. 

§  91.  Terrazzo  Floors  and  Bases. 

Terrazzo  floors  and  bases  to  be  laid  in  the  waiting-rooms,  in  aisles,  bath- 
tub rooms,  and  vestibule  of  shower-bath  room  for  men,  and  vestibule  in 
shower-bath  room  for  women,  in  toilet-room  for  men,  and  in  toilet-room 
for  women  (including  slop-sink  rooms  and  closets  in  toilet-rooms),  and  in 
entire  floor  of  men's  Natatorium. 

Overflow  gutters  and  borders  and  coping  in  swimming  pools  to  be  formed 
of  terrazzo,  gutters  to  be  pitched  toward  drain  outlets,  all  edges  and  angles 
in  gutters  and  coping  to  be  rounded,  gutters  to  be  made  absolutely  water- 
tight. 

All  of  this  work  to  be  set  true  and  level  throughout  and  pitched  toward 
floor  drains  under  showers,  and  rubbed  to  a  smooth  surface  after  setting, 
and  cleaned  and  rubbed  again  finally  to  a  dull  polish  and  left  complete 
and  in  perfect  condition,  without  spots  or  stains  at  the  completion  of  the 
building. 

§  92.  Floor  Tiling. 

All  floor  tiles  shall  be  of  the  best  quality  vitrified  tiles,  equal  to  the  best 
manufacture,  set  true  and  level  with  close  joints,  on  a  cement  bed  com- 
posed of  Atlas  Portland  cement  (or  other  cement  equally  acceptable  to 
the  architects),  and  sand  in  proportion  of  one  (1)  part  cement  and  one  (1) 
part  clean,  sharp  grit  sand,  all  top  joints  to  be  wiped  out  carefully,  and 
filled  with  pure  cement.  The  bottom  of  each  swimming  pool  to  be  tiled 
with  vitrified  mosaic  tile;  in  colors  to  be  selected,  border  to  be  composed 
of  ^-inch  square  tile,  turned  up  on  the  walls  four  (4)  inches  and  curved 
at  bottom  with  a  radius  of  three  (3)  inches,  and  laid  out  on  the  level  of 
the  bottom  of  pools  twelve  (12)  inches  from  sides  of  pools  inside  of  this 
border,  cover  the  entire  bottom  of  pools  with  one  (1)  inch  round  vitrified 
tiles,  in  colors  to  be  selected. 


274  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

§  93.  Cutting,  Drilling  and  Repairing,  etc. 

Do  all  cutting,  drilling  and  repairing  of  tile  work  required  for  plumbing 
connections,  ladders,  etc.,  and  for  the  work  of  other  mechanics,  and  finish 
up  after  them,  and  thoroughly  protect  all  brass  work  before  cleaning;  all 
cracked  or  broken  tile  to  be  removed  at  the  completion  of  the  building, 
all  of  the  work  to  be  left  clean  and  in  perfect  condition  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  the  architects. 

§  94.  Guarantee  for  Tile  Work. 

The  contractor  shall  and  does  hereby  guarantee  all  tile  work  against 
loosening  swelling  and  cracking  for  a  period  of  two  (2)  years. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

A  BIBLIOGRAPHY  ON  BATHS  AND  BATHING  * 

English  and  American  Books. 

^"The  Handbook  of  Bathing."    London,  1848. 

"The  Art  of  Bathing."     Dr.  Percy  Wilde.     London. 

"Baths  and  Wash  Houses."     P.  P.  Baly.     London,  1852. 

"The  Uses  of  Water."     J.  H.  Kellogg.     1876. 

"Public  Baths  and  Cheap  Baths  for  the  People."     F.  Vacher.     London,  1879. 

"Baths  and  Bathing."     J.  Farrar.     London,  1890. 

ot  "The  Turkish  Bath  —  Its  Design  and  Construction."     R.  O.  Allsop.     New 
York,  1890. 

"The  Hydropathic  Establishment  and  its  Baths."  R.  O.  Allsop.  New 
York,  1891. 

"Public  Baths  and  Wash  Houses."     R.  O.  Allsop.     London,  1894. 
"Principles  and  Practice  of  Hydrotherapy."     S.  Baruch.     New  York,  1898. 
"Baths  and  Bathing."     London. 

"Kane's  New  System  of  Public  Baths  with  Descriptive  Plan."  Jas.  Kane. 
London. 

"  Public  Bath  and  Wash  Houses  —  A  Treatise  on  their  Planning,  Design, 
Arrangement  and  Fitting."  (Alfred  W.  S.  Cross.)  274  illustrations. 
London,  1906.  B.  T.  Batsford. 

"Swimming  Pools.     Their  Construction,  Mechanical  Installation  and  Water 
Supply."     John  K.  Allen.     Chicago,  1907. 

"The  Bath."     Dr.  R.  J.  Trail. 

"The  Practice  of  Water  Cure."     Dr.  J.  W.  Wilson. 

"Hydropathy."     Dr.  Winternitz. 

"Rational  Hydropathy."     Dr.  Kellogg. 

English  and  American  Reports. 

"Thirty-ninth  Annual  Report  New  York  Juvenile  Asylum."  1890.  De- 
scription of  New  Rain  Bath. 

"Glasgow  Corporation  Baths  and  Wash  Houses."  Report  by  W.  Thomson. 
Glasgow,  1892. 

*  Arranged  by  year  of  publication.     Compiled  by  W.  P.  Gerhard,  C.E. 
275 


276  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

"Report  of  Committee  on   People's  Baths."     New   York  Association    for 

LC.P.    New  York,  1892. 
"Improved    Public    Bathing    Facilities."     Report    of    Special    Committee. 

Brookline,  Mass.,  1895. 
"Report  on  Public  Baths  and  Public  Comfort  Stations."     New  York,  1897. 

Contains  Bibliography. 
"Bulletin  of  the  Department  of  Labor."     1897.     No.   11   contains:  "Public 

Baths  in   Europe."     Dr.   E.   M.   Hartwell.     Washington,    1897.     Con- 
tains Bibliography. 

"Annual  Reports  of  the  Department  of  Baths."     Boston,  1899  el  seq. 
"Annual  Reports  of  the  School  Committee."     Boston,  1899. 
"Free  Municipal  Baths  in  Boston."     William  F.  Cole.     1903. 
"Bulletin  of  Bureau  of  Labor,  Department  of  Commerce."     G.  W.  W.  Hanger. 

Public  Baths  in  the  United  States,  September,  1904. 
"How   Manhattan  is  Governed."     Bureau   of    City   Betterment.     Citizens' 

Union  of  New  York.     Chapter  on  Public  Baths.     1906. 

English  and  American  Pamphlets. 

"How  to  Bathe."     E.  P.  Miller.     New  York,  1878. 

"Description  of  Grove's  Spray  Baths."     David  Grove.     Berlin,   1889. 

"Some  Recent  Public  Rain  Baths  in  New  York  City."     The  Engineering 

Record.     Wm.  Paul  Gerhard.     1891. 
"The  People's  Baths."     The  New  York  Association  for  I.C.P.     New  York, 

1891. 

"The  Modern  Rainbath."     Wm.  Paul  Gerhard.     New  York,  1894. 
"Report  on  the  New  Rain  Baths  at  the  Utica  State  Hospital."     Wm.  Paul 

Gerhard.    New  York,  1894. 
"A  Novel  Hot-Water  Apparatus  for  Rain  or  Douche  Baths."     Wm.  Paul 

Gerhard.     New  York,  1894. 
"Baths  and  Wash  Houses."     J.   P.   Faure.     (Municipal   Program  Leaflet 

No.  5.)     New  York,  1894. 
"Lavatories."     W.  H.  Tolman.     (Municipal  Program  Leaflet  No.  6.)     New 

York,  1895. 

"Preliminary  Report  of  the  Sub-Committee  on  Baths  and  Lavatories."     Com- 
mittee of  Seventy.     New  York,  1895. 

"A  Novel  Form  of  Bath  and  New  Method  of  Bathing  Insane  Patients." 
The  Rainbath.     Wm.  Paul  Gerhard.     New  York.  1895. 

"On  Bathing  and  Different  Forms  of  Baths."     Wm.  Paul  Gerhard.     New 
York,  1895. 

"Public  Baths  and  Lavatories."     Citizens'  Union.     New  York.  1897. 
"A  Plea  for  Rain  Baths  in  the  Public  Schools."     W7m.  Paul  Gerhard.     New 
York,  1900. 

"Communication  on  a  System  of  Municipal  Baths  for  the  Borough  of  Man- 
hattan, City  of  New  York."     New  York  Association  for  I.C.P.     1902. 
"  Public  Comfort  Stations  and  Public  Baths."     J.  L.  Mott.     New  York,  1904. 

"A   Study   on    Public    Baths."     Association   for    I.C.P.     Notes.     Contains 
Bibliography. 


A  BIBLIOGRAPHY   ON   BATHS  AND   BATHING  277 

Articles. 

"Baths  and  Laundries."     Young.     American  Architect,  1883. 

"Recent  Advances  in  Preventive  Medicine."     G.  H.  Robe.     Journal  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  1890. 

"Baths  for  the  People."     C.  C.  Walker.     Architecture  and  Building,  1890. 
"Public  Bath  Houses  at  Berlin."     American  Architect,  1891. 
"The  Bath  — Its  Necessity  and  Adaptations."     Dr.  Bell.     1891. 

"A  Plea  for  Public  Baths,  Together  with  an  Inexpensive  Method  for  their 
Hygienic  Utilization."     S.  Baruch.     Dietetic  Gazette,  1891. 

"The  People's  Bath."     Bell.     Journal  of  Balneology,  1891. 
"Public  Baths  in  New  York  City."     Engineering  Record,  1892. 
"Baths  and  Bath  Houses."     Allsop.     Architecture  and  Building,  1892. 

"Bathing  and  Washing  Facilities  in  a  Brooklyn  Factory."     Metal  Worker, 
1893. 

"The  Modern  Rainbath."     Wm.  Paul  Gerhard.     The  American  Architect, 
1894. 

"The  New  Rainbath  of  the  Utica  State  Hospital."     Wm.  Paul  Gerhard. 
Engineering  Record,  1894. 

"On  Bathing  and  Different  Forms  of  Baths."     W.P.Gerhard.     Architecture 
and  Building,  1895. 

"Bathing  at  the  Continental  Sea-Shore  Resorts."     Adams.     Cosmopolitan, 
1895. 

"Bathing   at   the   American   Sea-Shore    Resorts."     Adams.     Cosmopolitan, 
1895. 

"Public  Baths  for  the  Poor."     J.  B.  Walker.     Cosmopolitan. 
"Public  Baths."     Outlook,  1895. 

"The  Public  Baths."     Letter  by  Dr.  S.  Baruch.     The  Sanitarian. 
"Free  Public  Baths."     Editor's  Table.     1895.    The  Sanitarian. 

"More  about  the  Public  Baths  in  New  York."     Morris.     1896.     The  Sani- 
tarian. 

"Introduction  of    Public    Rain    Baths    in    America."     Fiske.     1896.    The 
Sanitarian. 

"Public    Baths    Essential    to    Public    Health."     M.    Morris.     1896.     The 
Sanitarian. 

"Public  Baths  and  Laundries."     R.  Donald.     Outlook,  1896. 
"Buffalo  Free  Bath  House."     Engineering  Record,  1896. 
"Municipal  Public  Baths."     M.  Williams.     The  Citizen,  1896. 
"Why  Public  Baths  are  Essential  to  Public  Health."     Sanitary  Record,  1897. 
"Public  Baths.     Their  Vital  Importance  to  the  Public  Health  and  Happi- 
ness."    Tolman,  Tabor  and  Dawe.     Health  Magazine,  1898. 

"Free  Public  Baths."     Sanitarian,  1897. 

"Free  Water  for  Private  Baths."    L.  N.  Case.     Engineering  Record,  1898. 

"People's  Baths."     W.  P.  Gerhard.     Public  Improvements,  1899. 


278  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

"The  Walker  and  Pratt  Mfg.  Co.'s  New  Foundry."     The  Foundry,  1899. 
"The  Arrangements  of  Public  Baths."     Engineering  Record,  1899. 

"Private    Initiative    in    Furnishing    Public    Bath    Facilities."     Kirkbridge. 
Ann.  American  Acad.  Polit.  Science,  March,  1899. 


Municipal  People's  Baths  of  Vienna."     W.  P.  Gerhard.     Architecture 
and  Building,  1899. 

"Public  Baths  and  Wash  Houses."     A.  H.  Tiltman.     1899.     Architecture 
and  Building. 

"  Workingmen's   Baths  in   Industrial   and   Manufacturing   Establishments." 
W.  P.  Gerhard.     Architects'  and  Builders'  Magazine,  1899. 

"Systems  of  Public  Baths."     Goodwin  Brown.     Public  Improvements,  1900. 

t/The  Emperor  Francis  Joseph  Bath  at  Reichenberg."     Engineering  Record, 
1901. 

"Letter  by  Goodwin  Brown  to  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
Yonkers."     1902. 

"Public  Baths."     Goodwin  Brown.     Charities  Review,  Vol.  2,  No.  3. 
"The  System  of  Public  Baths."     Goodwin  Brown.     The  New  York  Times. 
"The  Great  Unwashed."     The  Southern  Practitioner. 
"A  Great  Municipal  Enterprise.     The  Brookline  Public  Baths."     Crosby. 

German  Books. 

"Bade  und  Wasch-Anstalten."     Grundrisz-Vorbilder  von  Gebaeuden  aller 
Art.  Klasen.     Leipzig,  1882. 

"Die  hydro-elektrischen  Baeder."     Dr.  G.  Lehr.     Wiesbaden,  1885. 

"Die  Baeder  und  Badeanstalten  der  Neuzeit."     G.  Osthoff.     Berlin,  1887. 

"Die  Technik  des  Badens."     Dr.  J.  C.  Holm.     Wiesbaden,  1887. 

"Das  Stuttgarter  Schwimmbad."     Leo  Vetter.     Stuttgart,   1889. 

"Wie  sollen  wir  baden?"     Faber.     Berlin,  1891. 

"Die  Badeanstalt."     J.  H.  Klinger.     Leipzig,  1891. 

"Bau  und  Betrieb  von  Volksbadeanstalten."     R.  Schultze.     Bonn,  1893. 

"Volks-  und  Haus-Baeder."     R.   Schultze.     6ter  Band  des  Handbuchs  der 
Hygiene.     Dr.  Th.  Weyl.     Jena,  1894. 

"Moderne  Baeder."     Leo  Vetter.     Stuttgart,  1894. 
"Die  Thatigkeit  des  Berliner  Vereins  fur  Volksbaeder."     Enthaltend: 
"Das  Volksbad."     Prof.  Dr.  O.  Lassar. 

"Das   Brausebad   in  den  Berliner  Gemeindeschulen."     Dr.  A.  Abraham. 
Berlin,  1896. 

"Ueber    Brausebad-Einrichtungen    verbunden    mit    oeffentlichen    Schulan- 
stalten."     Charlottenburg,  1896.     P.  Voigt. 

"Fortschritte  auf  dem  Gebiete  der  Architektur."     Heft  II.     Das  Staedtische 

Schwimmbad  zu  Frankfurt-a-M.     Dr.  C.  Wolff.     Stuttgart,  1897. 
"Schulbrausebaeder."     Oslender.     Muenchen  u.     Leipzig,  1897. 
"Das  Giessener  Volksbad."     H.  Schaffstaedt.     Giessen,  1898. 


A  BIBLIOGRAPHY  ON   BATHS  AND   BATHING  279 

'Das  Breslauer  Hallenschwimmbad."     Kabierske.     Breslau,  1899. 

'Handbuch  der  Architektur.  4  Teil,  Band  V.  Heft  3.  Genzmer,  Bade-u. 
Schwimmanstalten.  Stuttgart,  1900.  Contains  Bibliography. 

'Baukunde  des  Architeken."     II  Band,  3  Teil.     2te  Auflage. 

"Oeffentliche  Badeanstalten."    J.  Stuebben.  Berlin,     1900.     Contains  Bib- 
liography. 

'Ueber  Volksbaeder."     Preisgekroenter  Vortrag  von  Dr.  Ed.  Baeumer. 

'Unser  heutiges  Volksbadewesen."  Preisgekroenter  Vortrag  von  Dr.  G. 
Poelchau.  Both  articles  are  reprinted  in  Veroeffentlichungen  der  Deut- 
schen  Gesellschaft  fuer  Volksbaeder.  Heft  5,  1901. 

'Baeder  und  Badewesen  in  Vergangenheit  und  Gegenwart."  J.  Marcuse. 
Stuttgart,  1903. 

'Geschichte  des  Badewesens."     Dr.  Ed.  Baeumer.     Breslau,  1903. 

'  Koerperpflege  durch  Wasser-Anwendung."  Prof.  Hermann  Rieder.  Stutt- 
gart, 1903. 

'Veroeffentlichungen    der    Deutschen    Gesellschaft    fuer    Volksbaeder." 
I  Band,  1903.     II  Band,  1904.     Berlin.     (Issued  quarterly.) 

'  Das  Bad  der  Neuzeit  und  seine  historische  Entwickelung."  Leo  Vetter. 
Stuttgart,  1904. 

'Alte  Badeformen  und  neue  Heilverfahren."     Leo  Vetter.     Stuttgart,  1904. 

'Die  staedtische  Bade-Anstalt  in  Hannover."  Von  Stadtbaurat  C.  Wulff, 
Wiesbaden,  1905. 

'  Warmwasser-Bereitungs-Anlagen  und  Bade-Einrichtungen."  Holger  Roose. 
1905. 

'Einrichtung  und  Betrieb  von  Volksbaedern."     Von  E.  O.  Arnold,  1906. 

'Deutsches  Badewesen  in  vergangenen  Tagen  nebst  einem  Beitrage  zur 
Geschichte  der  deutschen  Wasserheilkunde."  Alfred  Martin.  Jena, 
1906. 


German  Pamphlets. 

"Die  Hautpflege."     Dr.  A.  Bresgen.     Leipzig,  1871. 

"Die  oeffentliche  Badeanstalt  zu  Bremen."     Runge  u.  Ohnesorge.     Bremen, 
1877. 

"Die  Militaer-Dampfkueche  und  Badeanstalt."     A.  D.  Neree.     Berlin,  1880. 

"Badewesen    und    Bade-Technik    der    Vergangenheit."     Hugo    Marggraff. 
Berlin,  1881. 

"Moderne  Stadtbaeder."     Hugo  Marggraff.     Berlin,  1882. 

"Das  Badewesen  in  alter  und  neuer  Zeit,  mit  besonderer  Beziehung  auf  das 
Koelner  Hohenstaufenbad."     J.  Stuebben.     Koeln,  1883. 

"  Vortrag  ueber  Reinlichkeit,  Hautpflege  und  Baeder."     Oscar  Kuntze.     1884. 
"  Badeeinrichtungen  innerhalb  der  Schulen."     F.  Bartels.     Jena,  1886. 
"Volks-  und  Arbeiter-Baeder."     Dr.  Oscar  Lassar.     Mainz,  1887. 
"Die  Badeeinrichtung  in  der  neuen  II.  Buergerschule  in  Weimar."     R.  Has. 


280  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

"Ueber  Volksbaeder."     Dr.  Oscar  Lassar.     Braunschweig,  1888. 
"Arbeiter-Badeeinrichtungen."     B.  Knoblauch.     Berlin,  1889. 
"Nutzen  und  Einrichtung  von  Brause-Baedern."     D.  Grove.     Berlin,  1889. 
"Die  Kulturaufgabe  der  Volksbaeder."     Dr.  Oscar  Lassar.     Berlin,  1889. 
"Neuere    Bade-Einrichtungen."     O.    Leonhardt.     Berlin,     1890.     Separat- 

Abdruck  aus  Gesundheits-Ingenieur. 

"Die  Anlage  von  Douchebaedern  in  Militaergebaeuden."     Wien,  1892. 
"Das  Arbeiter-Brausebad."     H.  Schaffstaedt.     Giessen,  1893. 
"Das  Baden.     Bin  Wort  an  Gesunde  und  Kranke."     C.  Klein.     Duessel- 

dorf,  1894. 
"Ueber  die  sanitaere  Bedeutung  und  zweckmaessige  Einrichtung  der  Baeder." 

Dr.  E.   Lindemann.     Fortschritte  der  oeffentlichen   Gesundheitspflege, 

1895. 
"  Grundzuege  ueber  die  Wasch-  u.  Bade-Einrichtungen  an  Bord  S.  M.  Schiffe." 

Marineverordnungsblatt  fuer  1895.     Nr.  6,  Seite  57. 

Nutzen  und  Geschichte  des  Volksbades.     Klimpert,  Richard.    Leipzig,  1895. 
"Erfahrungen   ueber  Schulbrausebaeder."     Esmarch.     Hygienische   Runds- 
chau.    Berlin,  1896. 

"Volks-  und  Arbeiterbaeder."     H.  Schaffstaedt.     Paris,  1900. 
"Das  Brausebad  in  der  Volkschule."     Paul  am  Ende.     Dresden,  1900. 
Das  Schulbrausebad  und  seine  Wirkungen.     Paulam  Ende.     Braunschweig, 

1903. 
"Zur    Foerderung    der    Volksgesundheit    durch    Baeder."     Oberstabsarzt. 

Dr.  Rosenthal. 

"Das  Arbeiter-Brausebad."     H.  Schaffstaedt.     Giessen. 

"Ueber  Wasserkuren  im  Hause."     A.  Krueche.     Muenchen. 

"Das  Fabrikbad."     Augsburger  Kammgarnspinnerei. 

"Bade-Ordnung  fuer  das  Karl-Mueller  Volksbad  in  Muenchen."     1905. 

Schulbrausebaeder,   Aug.  Tecklenburg    (contains  a   bibliography  on  School 
Baths). 

Ueber  Schulbaeder.     Seifert,  Dr.  med.     Dresden,  1895. 

German  Articles. 

"Ueber  Volksbaeder   in   Wien."     Beraneck,    1898.     Zeitschrift   des   oester- 
reichischen  Architekten  u.  Ingenieur  Vereins. 

"Bade-Einrichtungen  in  Volksschulen."     Schuster,  1886.     Hannover. 
"Badeanstalten  und  deren   innere   Einrichtung."     R.  Mildner,  1892.     Zeit- 
schrift des  Vereins  Deutscher  Ingenieure. 

"Die    neueren    Volksbade-Anstalten    in    Hamburg."     Bauinspektor    Wulff. 
Deutsche  Bauzeitung,  1895. 

"Die  Staedtischen  Volksbaeder  in  Wien."     H.  Beraneck,  1898.     Zeitschrift 

des  oesterreichischen  Architekten  u.  Ingenieur  Vereins. 
"Preisentwuerfe  fuer  Volksbaeder."    Loewenstein.     Gesund.  Ing.  1900. 

"Zur  Geschichte  der  Baeder  u.  Badeorte  in  Europa.     Serbin,   1902.     New 
Yorker  Staatszeitung. 


A  BIBLIOGRAPHY  ON  BATHS  AND  BATHING  281 

German  Reports. 

"Deutsche  Vierteljahrschrift  fuer  oeffentliche  Gesundheitspflege.  Band 
XII,  Heft  2,  1880.  Robertson  u.  Meyer.  Ueber  oeffentliche  Bade- 
Anstalten. 

"Das  Brausebad  der  Staedtischen  Badeanstalt."  Bade-Anstalts  Commission. 
Altona,  1891. 

French  Books. 

"L'Economiste  Pratique."  Construction  et  organisation  des  creches,  salles 
d'asile,  ecoles,  etc.  Emile  Cacheux.  Paris,  1885.  With  Atlas.  Chap- 
itre  II,  Troisieme  Partie,  pp.  415^70.  "Bains  et  lavoirs." 

BOOKS   AND    PAMPHLETS    ON   AIR   AND    SUN 
BATHS 

"Air  and  Sun  Baths."     Reprint  from  Popular  Science  News,  1883. 

Dr.  Kocksch,  Das  Luftbad  und  seine  Bedeutung  fuer  Grossstaedte  und  In- 
dustriezentren.  Leipzig,  no  year. 

Adolf  Just:  "Return  to  Nature."     American  translation  by  B.  Lust. 
Dr.  Heinrich  Pudor,  die  Nackt-Kultur.     Berlin-Steglitz. 

Dr.  H.  Pudor,  Katechismus  der  Nackt-Kultur.  Leitfaden  fuer  Sonnen- 
baeder  und  Nacktpflege.  Berlin-Steglitz,  1906. 

Von  Kirsten-Weissenfels,  die  wunderbaren  Wirkungen  des  Licht-Luft-Bades. 
Flugblatt  des  deutschen  Bundes  der  Vereine  fuer  naturgemaesse  Lebens- 
und  Heil-Weise. 

Dr.  Fr.  Schoenenberger,  Badet  in  der  Luft  und  im  Lichte.     Berlin. 

Dr.  Heinrich  Lahmann,  das  Luftbad  als  Heil-  und  Abhaertungs-Mittel. 
Stuttgart,  1901. 

Die  Luft-,  Sonnen-,  und  Elektrisch-Licht-Baeder.  Leipzig,  Verlag  der 
Miniatur-Bibliothek. 

Dr.  W.  Busch,  das  beste  System  taeglicher  J-stuendiger  Arbeit  fuer  die  Gesund- 
heit.  Leipzig,  Verlagshaus  fuer  moderne  Literatur. 

"Sommerlust — Winterwonne."     Bade  in  Licht,  Luft  und  Sonne. 

Das  Sport-Luftbad.     Verlag  von  "Kraft  und  Schoenheit."     Berlin,  1905. 

Das  Sonnenbad.     Karlsruhe,  1905. 

Muenchen's  oeffentliche  Bade-Anlagen  und  Lichtluftbaeder.  Muenchen, 
1905. 

Jaerschky,  Dr.  Korperpflege  durch  Gymnastik,  Licht  und  Luft.  Stuttgart, 
1906. 

Dr.  Ziegelroth,  Das  Luftbad  und  Sonnenbad.     Berlin,  1907. 
Dr.  J.  Wilhelm,  Das  Sonnen-  und  Luftbad.     Wien. 
Olga  Zschommler,  Lichtluftbad.     Leipzig. 

Air  Baths  in  Germany.  Report  by  U.  S.  Consul  T.  H.  Norton.  Daily 
Consular  and  Trade  Reports.  Washington,  D.C.,  November  11, 1907. 


APPENDIX 

BATHING  IN  VARIOUS  COUNTRIES 

1.  Russian  Bath  Houses  —  No  Russian  can  be  without  his  bath,  and 
the  poorest  peasant  even  tries  to  obtain  a  bath  at  least  once  a  week.  In 
all  the  larger  villages,  hamlets  and  towns  one  therefore  finds  in  almost 
every  street  one  or  more  bath  houses,  from  the  simplest  to  the  most  luxuri- 
ously fitted  up.  The  sanitary  condition  of  these  bath  houses,  however, 
is  all  but  satisfactory.  In  the  cities  of  Moscow,  Charkow,  Kursk  and 
the  majority  of  the  provincial  towns  the  public  bath  houses,  intended 
for  the  lower  classes  of  the  population,  consist  usually  of  two  large  halls, 
the  one  intended  for  the  men,  the  other  for  the  women.  These  are  usually 
kept  tolerably  clean  and  neat.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  majority  of 
the  smaller  towns  and  in  some  provincial  towns,  as,  for  instance,  in 
Grodno.  Minsk,  Wilna,  Plonsk  and  numerous  others,  the  bath  houses 
are  indescribably  filthy,  particularly  the  bath  houses  of  the  Jewish 
population. 

Bathtubs  are  used  in  Poland  and  in  the  Baltic  Sea  provinces,  while 
in  all  other  parts  of  Russia  a  steam,  hot-air  or  -vapor  bath  is  preferred. 
While  the  people's  baths  in  Russia  are  usually  kept  in  an  unsanitary 
condition,  the  bath  houses  for  the  well-to-do  in  the  larger  cities  are  nearly 
always  neat  and  clean  and  fitted  up  very  comfortably,  though  the  price 
of  admission  is  often  quite  high,  viz.,  three  rubels  or  about  two  dollars 
and  sometimes  even  more. 

The  waste  water  from  the  bath  houses  usually  runs  directly  into  the 
nearest  river,  and  often  causes  a  serious  pollution  of  the  drinking  water, 
as,  for  instance,  in  Podolsk  in  the  province  of  Moscow.  Frequently  the 
drainage  is  insufficient  or  defective,  causing  a  bad  pollution  of  the  sub- 
soil. The  bath  houses  of  Russian  towns  are  also  important  from  the  point 
of  view  of  sanitation,  because  almost  without  exception  they  constitute 
places  for  sexual  excesses,  and  consequently  form  a  principal  cause  for 
the  distribution  of  syphilis,  which,  as  is  well  known,  is  very  frequent 
in  Russia.  The  above  is  also  true  of  the  river  baths,  where  the  sexes 

282 


APPENDIX  283 


bathe  promiscuously,  the  feeling  of  modesty  being  very  little  developed 
or  known  in  Russia.  - —  Abstract  from  a  paper  on  "Sanitation  in  Russia," 
by  ARMY  SURGEON  D.  WILKE  of  Dresden,  translated  by  W.  P.  G. 

2.  People's  Baths  in  Russia  —  As  far  as  we  can  judge  from  available 
historical  sources,  the  Slavs  of  olden  times,  like  some  other  Eastern 
nations,  did  not  cultivate  much  the  question  of  personal  cleanliness. 
In  some  historical  writings  of  the  sixth  century  we  find  it  stated  that 
the  Slavs  did  not  pay  attention  to  their  outward  appearance,  and  that 
they  used  to  appear  at  public  meetings  in  dirty  clothes,  their  bodies  and 
faces  covered  with  dust.  On  the  other  hand,  a  historical  note,  dating 
from  the  year  996,  mentions  that  bathing  apartments  existed  in  some 
of  the  monasteries,  where  also  some  special  bathing  attendants  were 
employed.  It  is  also  related  that  in  the  year  946  some  delegates,  who 
came  to  see  the  Grand  Duchess  Olga  of  Russia,  were  ordered  by  her 
to  be  killed  in  the  baths,  which  she  had  had  prepared  for  them. 

After  the  dates  mentioned,  news  about  Russian  bath  houses  are  lacking, 
and  the  first  later  mention  is  in  a  book  of  laws,  issued  by  Czar  Alexis 
Michalowitsch  in  the  seventeenth  century,  in  wrhich  some  regulations 
regarding  bath  houses  in  cities  are  given.  These  city  bath  houses,  or 
rather  bath  apartments,  were  under  control  of  the  state  and  remained  so 
until  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  At  the  present  time 
the  public  bathrooms  in  cities  are  exclusively  private  undertakings.  In 
a  few  cities,  however,  the  military  authorities  have  installed  baths  for 
the  soldiers. 

In  rural  districts  one  finds  bathrooms  in  the  majority  of  villages,  many 
of  them  being  of  very  primitive  construction  and  equipment.  Such 
bathrooms  consist  usually  of  a  small  hut,  located  close  to  the  peasants' 
cottages  and  containing  two  rooms,  the  one  for  dressing  and  undressing, 
and  the  other  one  a  compartment  in  which  a  large  oven  is  located.  Ordi- 
nary paving  stones  are  heated  in  the  oven  and  then  water  is  poured  over 
them  so  as  to  generate  steam.  A  raised  wooden  bench  is  located  in 
one  corner  for  the  use  of  the  bathers,  during  sweating  and  while  perform- 
ing their  ablutions.  The  poorer  peasants  have  only  a  single  room,  and 
it  is  said  that  very  poor  people,  who  cannot  afford  to  install  a  bathroom, 
use  the  large  household  baking  oven  for  a  steam  bath. 

In  some  districts  of  Russia,  where  there  are  but  few  rivers  and  lakes, 
there  are  many  villages,  containing  one  hundred  or  more  houses,  which 
scarcely  have  enough  water  for  drinking  purposes.  In  these  villages 


284  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

it  is  stated  that  persons  get  a  bath  only  three  time.s  in  their  lives,  namely, 
at  birth,  before  marriage,  and  before  a  burial.  Where  conditions  as 
those  mentioned  exist,  it  is,  of  course,  extremely  difficult  to  advocate 
the  introduction  of  people's  baths,  and  even  in  the  cities  the  question 
has  not  progressed  favorably,  though  it  must  be  noted  that  all  Russians 
are  very  fond  of  the  steam  bath. 

In  the  year  1895  the  medical  division  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
caused  an  examination  and  report  to  be  made  on  the  condition  of  the 
baths  in  the  cities  of  the  Russian  Empire.  This  report  contains  a  large 
amount  of  interesting  data,  not  only  regarding  baths,  but  also  about 
the  water  supply  of  cities,  the  quality  of  the  water  used,  and  the  ultimate 
disposal  of  the  waste  water. 

From  a  summary  of  this  report  it  appears  that  information  was 
received  from  704  cities.  Out  of  these,  503  cities  had  a  total  of 
1,470  public  baths,  while  139  cities  were  entirely  without  any  bathing 
facilities.  No  answer  was  received  from  62  cities.  It  appears  further- 
more from  the  summary  that  the  largest  number  of  baths  were  found 
in  the  provinces  which  exhibit  a  higher  civilization  and  culture, 
namely,  the  Baltic  provinces,  Poland  and  the  districts  about  the  Cau- 
casian Mountains. 

The  report  mentions  that  the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  baths  were 
not  satisfactory,  at  least  in  204  of  the  cities.  The  cheap  bath  houses, 
where  either  five  or  ten  kopeks  (equivalent  to  three  and  one-half  to  five 
cents  of  our  money)  are  charged  for  a  bath,  were  found  to  be  in  a  particu- 
larly undesirable  condition.  Even  the  water  used  for  bathing  was 
reported  to  be  contaminated  in  129  cases. 

As  an  immediate  outcome  of  this  report  the  medical  department 
took  measures  to  remedy  the  sanitary  conditions  of  these  places,  and 
since  1895,  in  particular,  water  supplies  have  been  introduced  in  many 
of  the  cities.  In  St.  Petersburg  the  question  of  erecting  municipal 
public  bath  houses  has  been  freely  discussed,  but  unfortunately  many 
of  the  municipalities  are  not  at  present  equal  to  the  task,  so  that  many 
years  will  pass  before  the  question  of  people's  baths  will  be  solved  in 
a  satisfactory  manner. 

It  might  be  mentioned  also  that  public  laundries  or  wash  houses  are 
entirely  lacking  in  Russia,  so  that  in  many  cases  the  poorer  people  take 
their  wash  to  the  bath  house,  which  of  course  leads  to  undesirable  and 
unsanitary  conditions.  —  From  a  paper  by  PROF.  DR.  MED.  O.  VON 
PETERSEN,  St,  Petersburg,  translated  by  W.  P.  G. 


APPENDIX  285 


3.  People's  Baths  in  Rural  Districts  of  Norway  —  By  way  of  intro- 
duction, the  author  refers  to  the  fact  that  although  in  German  cities 
numerous  people's  baths  have  been  established  in  recent  years,  bathing 
facilities  are  still  lacking  in  the  country  districts,  in  small  villages  and 
in  the  isolated  farm  dwellings  of  the  German  Empire.  He  questions 
the  fact  whether  the  type  of  bath  used  for  city  people's  baths,  namely, 
the  rain  bath,  would  be  the  most  advantageous  one  for  a  rural  popu- 
lation. Is  there  perhaps,  he  asks,  some  other  form  of  bath  which  would 
be  better  adapted  for  the  needs  of  a  rural  population  than  the  usual  rain 
bath? 

When  the  question  of  establishing  people's  baths  was  taken  up  in 
Norway,  attention  was  directed  particularly  to  choosing  a  form  of  bath 
suitable  for  rural  districts,  because  in  Norway  nearly  three-quarters  of 
the  entire  population  (about  1,600,000  inhabitants)  live  in  the  country, 
whereas  only  600,000  inhabitants  dwell  in  cities. 

Physicians,  who  were  the  majority  of  those  who  became  interested  in 
the  question  of  people's  baths,  declared  almost  unanimously  in  favor 
of  a  form  of  bath  which  is  customary  in  Finland,  as  being  the  one  best 
adapted  to  Norwegian  conditions.  A  similar  movement  took  place 
simultaneously  in  Sweden.  The  form  of  bath  referred  to  is  known  as 
the  Finland  "badstu,"  or  "badstvga,"  which  translated  means  a  bath- 
room. The  best  proof  that  this  form  of  bath  can  be  introduced  uni- 
versally in  the  peasants'  farms  may  be  found  in  examples  from  olden 
times,  and  likewise  in  some  from  modern  times  as  given  by  the  population 
of  Finland. 

The  "badstu"  existed  in  the  times  of  the  Vikings,  and  during  the 
medieval  ages  it  existed  in  a  large  part  of  central  Europe,  particularly 
in  the  Scandinavian  countries.  At  those  times  bathing  was  a  necessary 
requirement  of  living,  not  only  for  the  lords  of  castles,  but  also  for 
the  townsmen  and  peasants.  The  bath  houses  later  on  became  the 
centers  of  all  sorts  of  excesses,  the  result  being  that  the  better  class 
of  people  in  cities  avoided  the  "badstuga,"  until  finally  the  authori- 
ties in  many  places  in  Germany  and  in  Scandinavia  had  to  close  the 
baths  up  entirely. 

At  the  present  time  scarcely  any  "badstugas"  may  be  found  in  Norway, 
and  the  population  of  Scandinavia  is  largely  restricted  to  tub  baths  or 
to  river  and  sea  baths.  While  this  is  true,  it  does  not  follow  that  this 
form  of  bath  would  in  itself  be  unsatisfactory.  It  ceased  to  be  popular 
merely  because  it  did  not  answer  the  increased  requirements  of  culture. 


286  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

In  this  fact  lies  the  remedy  to  be  applied,  namely,  instead  of  having  an 
ordinary  bath  hut,  filled  with  smoke  and  with  a  dirt  floor,  the  bath  should 
be  placed  in  a  light  and  cheerful  building,  with  large  windows,  with  well- 
jointed  flooring  and  with  means  for  the  removal  of  smoke.  The  require- 
ments of  modern  civilization  also  demand  that  there  should  be  during 
bathing  an  entire  separation  of  the  sexes. 

The  author  of  the  paper  made  a  trip  through  Finland  in  1902,  and 
found  that  there,  too,  a  desire  has  sprung  up  to  improve  upon  the  primitive 
conditions  which  still  largely  exist  in  the  eastern  and  northern  parts 
of  that  country.  During  his  journey  the  author  found  that  in  the  western 
and  southern  districts  of  Finland  the  "badstugas"  had  been  already 
somewhat  modernized,  because  the  cultured  population  of  Finland  does 
not  desire  to  lose  entirely  its  favorite  form  of  bath. 

A  brief  description  of  a  Finland  "badstu"  may  not  be  uninteresting. 
It  usually  consists  of  a  small  house,  a  hut,  or  a  single  heated  room,  in 
which  the  bath  is  taken.  The  bath  itself  is  a  steam  or  vapor  bath, 
and  the  intended  sweating  is  brought  about  by  the  heated  air.  The 
bath  is  really  an  intermediate  between  the  dry  hot-air  bath  (Roman 
bath)  and  the  steam  bath  saturated  with  moisture  (Russian  bath).  The 
air  in  the  room  is  heated  by  a  bath  stove  constructed  of  masonry.  Large 
round  stones  are  placed  over  the  fire  in  the  grate,  and  after  the  fire  has 
gone  out  and  the  stones  have  become  heated,  hot  water  is  poured  over 
the  stones  and  steam  vapor  thus  enters  and  fills  the  room.  By  repeating 
this  operation  a  temperature  of  from  35°  to  50°  Celsius  (95°  to  122°  Fahr.) 
is  attained,  and  the  heat  of  the  apartment  may  be  regulated  according 
to  the  amount  of  water  poured  over  the  stones.  There  are  a  number 
of  benches  in  the  room,  arranged  in  a  series  of  terraces,  so  that  the  bathers 
can  choose  whatever  temperature  is  most  adapted  to  them;  thus  those 
who  can  endure  a  high  temperature  and  desire  to  perspire  freely  select 
the  upper  benches,  whereas  others  who  are  satisfied  with  a  lesser  degree 
of  heat  remain  on  the  benches  nearer  to  the  floor. 

After  having  perspired  freely  the  bather  takes  a  pail  of  warm  water 
and  soaps  the  entire  body,  after  which  the  soapsuds  are  removed  by 
a  few  pails  of  lukewarm  water  poured  over  him.  Finally  a  few  pails 
of  cold  water  are  used  before  leaving  the  bath,  so  as  to  avoid  the  danger 
of  catching  cold. 

The  author  points  out  that  perspiring  is  not  absolutely  necessary  in 
such  a  bath,  and  that  this  may  be  restricted  to  those  who  wish  to  take 
a  medical  bath,  or  else  to  persons  who,  like  the  inhabitants  of  Finland, 


APPENDIX  287 


have  become  used  since  infancy  to  this  form  of  bath.  He  states  also 
that  many  of  the  original  inhabitants  of  colder  climates,  like  the  Slavs, 
Teutons,  the  Eskimos  and  the  Indians,  used  instinctively  a  form  of  bath 
similar  to  the  one  described.  He  argues  that  this  form  of  bath  could  be 
improved  as  much  as  the  rain  bath  has  been  in  the  past  years.  He  claims 
that  it  is  an  excellent  type  of  bath  for  the  people  of  rural  districts. 

Some  of  the  advantages  which  the  "badstuga"  offers,  as  compared 
with  the  rain  bath,  are  that  it  requires  no  special  bathing  appliances 
whatever,  and  hence  is  much  more  economical  in  first  construction.  A 
small  bath  house  of  this  kind  may  be  erected  near  the  barn  and  may  be 
used  at  other  times  as  a  laundry,  as  is  already  the  case  in  some  instances 
in  Norway.  It  is  not  necessary  even  to  erect  a  special  house,  but  any 
spare  room,  in  the  storehouse  for  instance,  or  in  the  cellar,  may  be  trans- 
formed into  a  bath. 

For  baths  in  public  schools  the  author  advocates  the  installment  of 
such  types  of  baths  in  addition  to  the  rain  bath. 

Since  the  question  of  people's  baths  has  been  agitated  in  Norway, 
a  large  number  of  village  baths  of  the  above  type  have  been  erected  in 
the  past  few  years.  In  a  more  modern  form  it  has  also  been  installed 
in  a  few  of  the  cities.  In  Drontheim,  for  instance,  the  third  largest  city 
of  Norway,  having  a  population  of  25,000  people,  there  are  four  people's 
baths,  and  the  two  largest  of  these  contain  both  rain  baths  and  the  above- 
described  vapor  baths.  Experience  there  has  shown  that  the  people 
seem  to  give  the  preference  to  the  "badstuga"  form  of  bath  and  not  to 
the  rain  bath.  These  modern  people's  baths  have  been  constructed  and 
equipped  with  due  regard  to  comfort  and  sanitation.  All  rooms  are 
light  and  clean,  the  floors  and  walls  are  covered  with  white  tiles  and  the 
benches  consist  of  white  marble."  Similar  bath  houses  exist  now  in  several 
of  the  largest  cities  of  Norway. 

Among  the  advantages,  the  author  claims  that  it  is  the  cheapest  form 
of  bath,  both  as  regards  first  cost  and  running  expenses.  He  also  points 
out  that  the  use  of  the  "badstuga"  bath  hardens  the  body.  In  Finland, 
for  instance,  many  persons  using  such  a  bath  in  winter  leave  the  room 
unclothed  and  roll  themselves  over  in  the  snow.  Persons  not  familiar 
with  this  form  of  bath  might  suppose  that  the  quick  change  in  tempera- 
ture would  cause  colds,  but  all  authorities  on  the  subject  are  agreed  that 
of  all  forms  of  baths  the  "badstuga"  type  is  the  one  which  offers  the 
greatest  immunity  from  catching  cold. 

The  author  further  claims  that  the  bath  has  a  decided  tonic  and  stimu- 


288  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

lating  effect.  In  Finland  the  people  use  it  when  they  come  home  in 
the  evening  tired  out  from  work,  in  order  to  refresh  themselves. 

Of  the  drawbacks  which  this  type  of  bath  has  the  author  mentions 
the  insufficient  change  of  air  in  the  room.  He  claims,  however,  that  no 
serious  difficulty  exists  about  providing  proper  ventilation.  Another 
objection,  sometimes  raised,  is  that  this  form  of  bath  involves  congregate 
bathing,  which  to  many  persons  is  not  congenial.  The  same  objection, 
however,  might  be  raised  against  swimming  baths,  but  in  practice  it  is 
found  that  the  majority  of  people,  especially  the  younger  persons  and 
those  who  have  performed  military  service,  do  not  object  to  bathing 
together.  As  a  curiosity  the  author  mentions  the  fact  that  the  people 
of  Finland  are  accustomed  and  prefer  to  have  female  bath  attendants. 

The  author's  conclusion  is  that  the  "badstu"  bath  may  successfully 
compete  with  the  rain  bath;  that  for  rural  districts  it  is  superior,  and 
that  even  for  baths  in  cities  it  may  be  placed  side  by  side  with  the  rain 
or  douche  bath.  At  present  the  tendency  in  Norway,  Sweden  and 
also  in  Denmark  is  to  maintain  the  form  of  bath  described  in  the  pre- 
ceding paragraphs.  —  From  a  paper  by  DR.  E.  MOINICHEN,  Health 
Officer  of  Aurland,  Norway,  translated  by  W.  P.  G. 

4.  Bathing  in  Finland  —  The  primitive  customs  described  in  the 
following  exist  in  the  most  northern  part  of  Sweden,  Norway  and  Fin- 
land, and  are  still  met  in  some  out-of-the-way  places  in  other  provinces, 
more  especially  in  the  region  between  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia  and  North 
Cape,  though  formerly  they  were  prevalent  farther  south  and  probably 
all  over  Scandinavia.  Some  of  them  showed  an  innocent  simplicity 
which  at  first  astonished  me.  What  struck  me  most  forcibly  was  that 
the  people  did  not  see  the  slightest  immodesty  in  them,  and  there  was 
an  utter  unconsciousness  of  any  harm;  which  brought  to  my  mind  the 
English  motto,  Honi  soit  qui  mal  y  pense  —  "  Evil  to  him  who  evil  thinks." 
On  the  principle  of  this  motto  the  reader  is  requested  to  read  this  chapter. 
I  am  simply  describing  things  I  have  seen  during  my  travels.  These 
customs,  like  many  others,  will  disappear,  and  I  wish  to  put  on  record 
what  will  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past. 

My  usual  experience  ran  thus :  I  express  the  wish  to  take  a  warm  bath, 
and  at  once  the  preparation  begins.  The  cow  house  undergoes  a  com- 
plete transformation;  the  great  iron  pot,  encased  in  solid  masonry  in  a 
corner,  used  to  cook  food  for  the  cattle,  is  thoroughly  cleansed  and  filled 
with  water;  when  this  has  become  heated  the  fire  is  extinguished;  every- 


APPENDIX  289 


thing  has  been  thoroughly  swept,  and  new  straw  is  spread  around  for 
me  to  step  upon,  so  I  shall  not  soil  my  feet;  I  am  just  in  the  kettle  when 
a  stout  girl  of  twenty  summers,  more  or  less,  jumps  in,  dress  and  all, 
saying,  "Paulus,  I  have  come  to  help  you."  The  words  are  hardly 
spoken  before  she  begins  to  rub  me  with  soap  in  a  most  forcible  manner, 
and  then  to  switch  me  with  birch  twigs.  The  only  thing  to  be  done  is 
to  consider  myself  her  little  brother,  and  I  submit  in  the  meekest  possible 
manner.  I  have  been  subjected  to  the  same  treatment,  minus  the  switch- 
ing, in  Stockholm  and  other  places,  but  by  women  old  enough  to  be  my 
grandmother. 

One  of  the  most  characteristic  institutions  of  the  country  is  the  "sauna" 
(bath  house),  called  "badstuga"  in  Swedish.  It  is  a  small  log  house, 
built  very  tight,  with  no  windows,  having  a  single  aperture  above  to 
let  the  smoke  out;  in  the  center  is  an  oven-like  structure  built  of  loose 
stones,  under  which  a  fire  is  kept  burning  till  they  are  very  hot;  then  the 
fire  is  extinguished  and  the  women  clean  the  place  thoroughly  of  ashes 
and  soot,  the  smoke  hole  having  been  in  the  mean  time  closed.  A  large 
vessel  filled  with  water  is  placed  within;  a  number  of  slender  twigs,  gen- 
erally of  young  birch  trees,  are  put  into  it,  to  be  used  as  switches.  The 
bath  house  stands  by  itself,  and  at  some  distance  from  the  other  buildings, 
for  safety  in  case  it  should  take  fire.  Every  Saturday  evening,  summer 
and  winter,  all  over  that  northern  country  smoke  is  seen  issuing  from 
these  structures.  It  is  the  invariable  custom  for  all  of  the  household, 
on  that  day,  to  take  a  bath,  for  the  work  of  the  week  is  ended  and  the 
beginning  of  Sunday  has  come.  After  washing,  all  put  on  clean  linen 
and  their  best  clothes. 

The  stranger,  the  passing  inhabitant  of  the  cities,  does,  not  bathe  with 
the  people,  for  they  are  shy;  he  may  have  his  bath,  but  all  alone.  It 
was  only  when  they  had  come  to  regard  me  as  one  of  themselves  that 
I  was  allowed  to  accompany  them;  then  the  neighbors,  old  and  young, 
would  often  come  to  bathe  and  keep  company  with  Paulus. 

I  remember  well  my  first  bath  en  famitte.  One  Saturday  afternoon 
a  couple  of  young  fellows,  friends  of  mine,  as  the  girls  were  giving  the 
last  touches  in  cleaning  the  badstuga,  shouted,  "Paulus,  take  a  bath 
with  us  to-day."  "Yes,  do,"  exclaimed  the  rest  of  the  company,  among 
whom  were  the  father  and  the  mother  of  the  large  family.  The  weather 
was  piercing  cold,  the  ground  covered  with  snow,  and  I  was  glad  that 
the  bathing  place  was  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  dwelling.  From  my 
window  I  noticed  several  maidens  wending  their  way  with  rapid  steps 


290  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

towards  it,  in  a  costume  that  reminded  me  of  Africa,  minus  the  color. 
I  did  not  wonder  at  their  speed,  for  the  thermometer  stood  below  zero. 
Soon  three  rather  elderly  women  took  the  same  route  from  a  neighboring 
farm,  but  the  oldest  two  were  clothed  with  old  skirts  around  their  waists; 
other  young  women  followed,  and  all  were  quickly  lost  to  sight  behind 
the  door,  which  they  at  once  shut.  They  must  be  about  to  hold  a  sort 
of  levee  in  the  bath,  thought  I.  Several  aged  men  then  made  their  ap- 
pearance, followed  in  quick  succession  by  younger  ones,  and  children 
of  all  sizes;  none  had  on  any  clothing  whatever,  and  they  also  joined  the 
throng  inside. 

When  I  saw  the  field  clear,  I  thought  it  was  time  to  make  a  rush  for 
the  building.  I  emerged  from  my  room  at  a  running  pace,  for  I  was 
dressed  as  scantily  as  those  who  had  preceded  me.  I  hastily  pushed 
the  door  open,  and  was  welcomed  by  the  voices  of  all  the  company  as  I 
closed  it  behind  me.  The  heat  was  so  intense  that  I  could  hardly  breathe, 
and  I  begged  them  not  to  raise  any  more  steam  for  a  while;  the  sudden 
transition  from  twenty  degrees  below  zero  to  such  an  atmosphere  over- 
powered me.  As  my  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  darkness  of  the 
place,  by  the  dim  light  which  came  through  the  cracks  of  the  door,  I 
began  to  recognize  the  faces  of  my  friends.  There  were  more  people 
than  usual,  for  all  the  neighbors  had  come  to  have  a  bath  with  Paulus. 

At  first  I  seated  myself  on  one  of  the  lower  benches  built  around,  after 
a  while  getting  on  the  other  above.  More  water  was  poured  on  the  hot 
stones,  and  such  a  volume  of  steam  arose  that  I  could  not  endure  it,  so 
I  jumped  down  again  and  reclined  in  a  half-seated  posture  in  order  to 
breathe  more  freely.  In  a  short  time  I  was  in  a  profuse  perspiration; 
again  and  again  steam  was  raised  by  pouring  water  on  the  stones,  till 
at  last  the  hot  air  and  steam  became  extremely  oppressive. 

Now  and  then  we  poured  water  on  each  other,  which  caused  a  delight- 
ful sensation  of  relief,  then  with  boughs  every  one's  back  and  loins  were 
switched  till  they  smarted  severely.  "  Let  me  give  you  a  switching,  Paulus," 
a  fair-haired  damsel  or  a  young  fellow  would  say,  "and  after  you  get 
yours,  I  want  you  to  give  me  one."  This  operation  is  beneficial,  as  it 
quickens  the  circulation  of  the  blood  in  the  skin.  In  about  half  an  hour 
the  people  began  to  depart,  first  submitting  to  a  final  flagellation,  after 
which  cold  water  was  poured  upon  the  body;  then  all  went  home  as 
naked  as  they  came.  As  I  emerged  from  the  hut  the  sensation  was 
delightful,  the  breathing  of  the  cold  air  imparting  fresh  vigor  and  ex- 
hilarating my  spirits;  I  rolled  myself  in  the  snow,  as  did  some  others. 


APPENDIX  291 


and  afterwards  ran  as  fast  as  I  could  to  the  farmhouse.  In  some  places 
the  men  and  women,  as  if  by  agreement,  do  not  return  together,  and 
the  old  women  wear  something  around  their  loins  as  they  go  or  come 
from  the  bath.  I  have  gone  out  of  the  bath  house  with  the  mercury  at 
thirty-two  degrees  below  zero.  It  is  not  dangerous  to  walk  a  short  dis- 
tance as  long  as  the  perspiration  is  not  suddenly  and  entirely  checked. 

On  returning  one  does  not  dress  at  once,  for  he  must  get  cool  gradually 
and  check  the  dripping  perspiration.  I  had  hardly  been  fifteen  minutes  in 
my  room,  when  suddenly  the  door  opened  (the  people  here,  as  is  the  case 
in  most  parts  of  Sweden,  never  knock  at  the  door),  and  the  wife,  who 
had  dressed  herself,  came  in,  and  was  not  in  the  least  abashed  at  my 
appearance;  she  talked  with  me  as  if  I  were  in  my  morning-gown.  The 
door  opened  again,  and  a  grown  daughter  entered,  and  then  another. 
I  began  to  fear  that  all  the  neighbors  were  coming,  as  if  to  a  reception. 
Though  they  did  not  seem  in  the  least  troubled,  I  was;  I  seated  myself 
on  a  chair,  however,  and  for  a  short  time  we  carried  on  a  rambling  con- 
versation; they  then  left,  and  I  dressed  myself  and  went  into  the  stuga, 
or  family  room.  At  first  I  could  hardly  keep  my  countenance,  for  the 
sight  was  extremely  ludicrous.  There  was  a  crowd  of  visitors,  neighbors 
of  different  ages,  and  among  them  the  three  old  fellows  —  a  grandfather, 
father  and  an  uncle  —  who  were  sitting  upon  one  of  the  benches  with 
legs  crossed  minus  a  particle  of  clothing,  shaving  themselves  without  a 
looking-glass.  Nobody  seemed  to  mind  them,  for  the  women  were 
knitting,  weaving  and  chatting.  This  was  certainly  a  scene  primitive 
enough.  When  the  men  finished  shaving,  clean  shirts  were  brought, 
and  they  then  dressed  themselves  while  seated.  The  men  usually  shave 
once  a  week,  oftener  when  courting,  and  always  after  the  bath,  for  the 
beard  then  becomes  soft. 

These  people  are  the  only  peasantry  in  Europe  who  take  a  bath  every 
week,  and  they  are  very  healthy.  I  never  failed  to  bathe  every  Saturday. 
The  custom  described  has  come  down  from  olden  times;  the  Norsemen 
called  Saturday,  Laugadag  (washing  day),  later  Loegadag,  and  at  present 
Loerdag,  but  it  is  now  chiefly  observed  in  the  regions  of  Scandinavia, 
which  we  had  crossed  during  the  winter.  Such  habits  can  prevail  only 
in  a  neighborhood  remote  from  cities,  where  simplicity  of  manner  has 
not  been  tampered  with  or  modified  by  what  are  called  higher  types  of 
civilization,  and  where  a  dissolute  life  is  entirely  unknown.  From  child- 
hood the  people  have  gone  to  the  bath  together,  and  their  children  are 
brought  up  in  the  same  way;  innocent  of  guile,  they  no  more  imagine  harm 


292  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

in  what  they  do  while  at  the  bath  than  if  they  sat  down  together  at  dinner 
in  the  customary  way,  still  more,  the  statistics  show  no  more  moral  people 
in  Europe.  After  the  bath  the  women  wear  high-necked  dresses,  and 
are  very  particular  in  their  deportment;  no  debased  woman  would  be 
tolerated  in  any  hamlet  in  that  part  of  the  country. 

The  custom  of  promiscuous  bathing  is  a  very  ancient  one  in  Europe, 
and  prevailed  extensively  among  our  forefathers.  Caesar,  in  his  Commen- 
taries, speaks  of  the  Germans  of  his  time  as  follows:  "Those  who  remain 
chaste  the  longest  bear  the  highest  reputation  among  them;  this  they 
consider  insures  stature  to  some,  to  others  manliness  and  strength.  .  .  . 
They  all  bathe  promiscuously  in  rivers,  without  distinction  of  sex,  and 
wear  skins  or  slight  coverings  of  deer  hides,  a  large  part  of  the  body 
being  nude;  and  Tacitus,  Pomponius  and  other  Latin  writers  add  their 
testimony  to  the  chastity  and  purity  of  the  people. 

We  must  not  be  too  hasty  in  condemning  what  we  have  outgrown 
or  never  known.  Every  day  we  witness  customs  which  are  not  accord- 
ing to  our  ideas  of  propriety.  We  at  times  see  a  mother  nursing  her 
babe  in  public,  but  that  certainly  does  not  make  her  a  woman  deserving 
of  reproach.  In  considering  the  subject,  we  should  bear  in  mind  that 
if  much  has  been  gained  by  our  advancing  civilization,  our  ancestors  were 
free  from  many  vices  which  are  the  outgrowth  of  some  civilized  habits. 
—  From  "  The  Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun"  Summer  and  Winter  Journeys 
through  Sweden,  Norway,  Lapland  and  Northern  Finland,  by  PAUL 
B.  DU  CHAILLU,  1882,  Chapter  XVII,  Old-time  Bathing. 

5.  Bathing  in  Japan  —  (a)  There  is  no  social  life  in  Japan  which  has 
been  more  ignorantly,  and  in  some  cases  willfully,  animadverted  upon  than 
the  custom  of  public  bathing;  nevertheless  I  dare  to  say  that  there  is  no  fea- 
ture in  Japanese  life  to  be  more  heartily  commended  than  this  same  system 
of  public  bathing.  But  by  this  assertion  I  do  not  mean  to  suggest  that 
we  shall  forthwith  proceed  to  establish  baths  after  the  Japanese  style, 
and  take  them  after  the  Japanese  fashion.  The  Japanese,  as  well  as 
some  other  Eastern  people,  have  for  centuries  been  accustomed  to  see 
nakedness  without  its  provoking  among  them  the  slightest  attention, 
or  in  any  way  suggesting  immodesty.  .  .  . 

In  Japan,  among  the  lower  classes,  the  sexes  bathe  together,  but  with 
a  modesty  and  propriety  that  are  inconceivable  to  a  foreigner  until  he 
has  witnessed  it.  Though  naked,  there  is  no  indecent  exposure  of  the 
person.  While  in  the  bath  they  are  utterly  unmindful  of  each  other. 


APPENDIX  293 


The  grossest  libels  have  been  written  about  the  Japanese  in  ref- 
erence to  their  custom  of  public  bathing;  and  I  hazard  the  statement, 
without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  an  intelligent  Japanese,  seeing  many 
of  our  customs  for  the  first  time,  without  knowing  the  conditions  under 
which  they  had  grown  up,  would  find  infinitely  more  to  condemn  as 
immodest,  than  an  intelligent  foreigner  would  find  in  seeing  for  the  first 
time  certain  Japanese  customs,  with  the  same  ignorance  at  the  outset  as 
to  what  such  customs  implied. 

If  cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness,  then  verily  the  Japanese  are  a  godly 
race.  Rein  says:  "The  cleanliness  of  the  Japanese  is  one  of  his  most 
commendable  qualities.  It  is  apparent  in  his  body,  in  his  house,  in  his 
workshop,  and  no  less  in  the  great  carefulness  and  exemplary  exactness 
with  which  he  looks  after  his  fields." 

The  simple  statement,  without  qualification,  that  numbers  of  Japanese 
in  their  public  baths  bathe  in  the  same  water  would  seem  a  filthy  habit. 
Certainly,  if  such  a  statement  were  really  true  in  regard  to  our  own  lower 
classes,  it  would  be  a  most  filthy  habit.  When  it  is  understood,  however, 
that  the  Japanese  working  classes  often  bathe  two  or  three  times  a  day, 
and  must  of  necessity  enter  the  bath  in  a  state  of  cleanliness,  such  as  our 
workmen  rarely  if  ever  attain,  the  statement  loses  some  of  its  force.  When 
it  is  further  added,  that  these  people  do  not  wash  in  the  baths,  but  boil 
and  soak  in  them  for  a  while,  and  then  upon  a  platform,  with  an  extra 
bucket  of  water  and  a  towel  wash  and  dry  themselves,  the  filthy  character 
of  this  performance  assumes  quite  another  aspect. 

A  Japanese  familiar  with  his  airy  and  barn-like  theaters,  his  public 
readings  under  an  open  tent-like  structure,  or  gatherings  in  a  room  in 
which  one  or  all  sides  may  be  open  to  the  air  even  in  midwinter,  would 
look  upon  the  usual  public  gatherings  of  our  people  in  lecture  halls,  school- 
rooms and  other  closed  apartments,  wherein  the  air  often  becomes  so 
foul  that  people  faint  and  struggle  to  the  door  to  get  a  breath  of  fresh  air, 
—  a  Japanese,  I  say,  would  justly  look  upon  such  practices  as  filthy  to 
the  last  degree.  And  what  would  he  say  to  one  of  our  great  political 
meetings,  for  example,  where  a  vast  unwashed  herd  of  perspiring  and 
excited  people  actually  bathe  their  delicate  membraneous  lungs  in  the 
combined  breath  of  hundreds? 

...  In  Japan  every  village  and  every  town,  and  in  the  city  nearly 
every  square,  possesses  public  baths  where,  for  the  price  of  one  cent  or 
two,  one  may  find  conveniences  for  a  hot  bath;  while  in  our  own  country 
public  baths  are  only  found  in  the  larger  cities,  and  few  of  these  even 


294  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

can  boast  of  such  a  luxury.  ...  In  Japan  nearly  every  house  among 
the  higher  and  middle  classes  possesses  the  most  ample  arrangements 
for  hot  baths;  and  even  among  the  poorer  classes,  in  the  country  as  well 
as  in  the  city,  this  convenience  is  not  wanting,  with  the  added  convenience 
of  public  baths  everywhere  attainable  if  desired. 

There  are  many  forms  of  bathing  tubs,  all  of  them  large  and  deep. 
There  are  also  many  forms  of  foot  tubs  and  large  wooden  tubs  with 
high  backs,  in  which  hot  water  is  poured.  —  From  PROFESSOR  MORSE'S 
"Japanese  Homes  and  their  Surroundings" 

(6)  ...  Not  only  are  the  Japanese  in  their  indifference  to  nudity  more 
sensible  and  pure-minded  than  their  censors,  but  in  the  matter  of  bath- 
ing and  cleanliness  they  are,  as  a  nation,  infinitely  more  civilized  than 
Europeans  and  Americans.  That  Japan  has  no  "Great  Unwashed" 
is  a  statement  of  such  wide  bearing  that  the  Occidental  mind  can  scarcely 
grasp  its  significance  at  first  hearing.  You  may  be  hemmed  in  by  the 
densest  crowd  in  Tokyo  on  a  sultry  summer  day,  or  stand  among  busy 
workmen  whose  scant  clothing  is  wet,  and  never  will  your  nostrils  be 
assailed  by  that  disagreeable  summer  odor  of  humanity,  which  would  be 
noticeable  in  other  countries  under  similar  circumstances. 

Being  a  nation  of  agnostics,  the  Japanese  could  hardly  be  expected 
to  sympathize  with  the  old  Hebrew  doctrine  which  places  cleanliness 
next  to  godliness.  They  make  cleanliness  the  first  of  all  virtues,  and 
the  daily  bath  the  first  of  all  duties.  While  New  York  had  to  wait  until 
the  year  1891  before  a  project  was  started  for  supplying  the  Great  Un- 
washed with  baths  at  reasonable  rate,  the  metropolis  of  Japan  has  offered 
such  opportunities  as  far  back  as  the  records  go.  Tokyo  has  to-day 
about  800  public  baths,  in  which  300,000  persons,  or  almost  a  fourth  of 
the  population,  bathe  every  day,  at  a  cost  of  one  cent  for  each  hot  bath; 
and  besides  this  every  family,  except  some  of  the  very  poorest,  has  its 
own  private  bathroom  in  the  house,  or  at  least  a  tub  and  plenty  of  hot 
water.  It  you  stop  at  the  humblest  village  inn  for  lunch,  a  basin  of 
water  is  brought,  in  which  to  wash  the  feet;  and  if  you  stay  for  the  night 
hardly  has  a  room  been  assigned  to  you,  when  a  girl  appears  to  conduct 
you  to  the  bath,  for  the  use  of  which  no  charge  is  made.  Nothing  sur- 
prises them  more  than  a  foreigner  who  refuses  to  take  at  least  one  hot 
bath  a  day.  They  themselves  are  more  likely  to  take  two  or  three;  and 
the  consequence  is  that  they  are  the  cleanest  people  in  the  world. 

It  has  been  said  that  they  value  the  bath,  not  so  much  for  its  cleansing 


APPENDIX  295 


effect  as  for  the  enjoyment  of  a  sensuous  luxury.  Suppose  we  were  to 
grant  this,  what  difference  does  it  make,  so  long  as  it  leaves  them  the 
cleanest  people  in  the  world  ?  But  it  is  not  true.  The  aspect  of  their 
streets  and  houses  shows  that  they  value  cleanliness  for  its  own  sake. 
They  have,  besides,  a  use  for  the  hot  bath,  which  may  be  considered 
unique.  Their  houses  affording  but  poor  protection  against  chilling 
winds,  and  having  no  fireplaces,  the  hot  bath  is  frequently  used  as  a 
last  resort  for  getting  warm. 

.  .  .  Farsari's  guidebook  attributes  the  premature  aging  of  Japanese 
women  in  part  to  their  too  frequent  indulgence  in  the  hot  bath,  but 
Dr.  Baelz,  the  best  authority  on  Japanese  physique,  declares  that  these 
baths  have  many  advantages,  but  not  a  single  disadvantage,  as  far  as 
he  could  ascertain.  It  is  commonly  supposed  that  hot  baths  unbrace 
the  nerves  and  invite  colds,  but  this  is  true  only  of  warm  and  not  of  hot 
baths,  such  as  the  Japanese  indulge  in,  at  a  temperature  of  110°  to  115° 
Fahr.,  which  in  some  cases  is  increased  to  120°,  and  occasionally  even  to 
130°.  Foreigners  cannot  endure  such  temperatures,  but  the  natives 
revel  in  them,  and  the  effect  on  them  is  so  bracing  and  strengthening 
that  they  can,  and  often  do,  emerge  from  the  tub  and  walk  some  dis- 
tance in  the  coldest  winter  weather  without  a  stitch  of  clothing  on,  and 
without  catching  a  cold.  When  foreign  physicians  were  first  imported 
and  looked  up  to  in  Japan,  about  twenty  years  ago,  they  actually  suc- 
ceeded in  their  ignorance  in  making  the  Government  pass  a  law  for- 
bidding a  higher  temperature  than  blood  heat;  but  the  mistake  was 
soon  discovered,  and  the  law  repealed.  To-day  those  of  the  foreign 
residents  who  are  wisest  have  given  up  their  cold  baths,  and  try  to  ap- 
proximate the  Japanese  temperature  as  closely  as  possible. 

The  Japanese  bathtub  is  usually  a  square  wooden  tank,  sometimes 
large  enough  to  admit  several  persons  at  a  time.  The  water  can  be 
heated  in  a  short  time  by  means  of  a  copper  tube  standing  in  one  corner 
of  the  tub,  and  having  a  grating  for  charcoal  at  the  bottom.  For  econom- 
ical reasons  the  Japanese  never  have  bathtubs  to  lie  in,  but  usually  make 
them  only  wide  enough  so  that  one  can  sit  or  kneel,  which  requires  less 
water,  and  therefore  less  coal. 

So  far  all  seems  well;  but  there  is  (apart  from  the  indifference  to  nudity) 
one  thing  about  Japanese  baths  which  is  apt  to  stagger  foreign  visitors  — 
the  use  of  the  same  water  by  a  number  of  persons.  When  the  family 
bath  is  ready,  the  father,  mother,  children  and  servants  all  enter  it  in 
the  order  here  given.  In  crowded  inns  a  score  or  two  of  guests,  entire 


296  MODERN   BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

strangers  to  each  other,  are  expected  to  use  the  same  water  (to  economize 
fuel).  This  may  seem  better  than  no  bath  at  all,  and  as  the  natives  wash 
themselves  all  over  before  entering  the  tub,  the  objection  may  be  largely 
imaginary;  but  we  cannot  overcome  our  predilection  for  a  fresh  tub 
for  each  individual,  and  communism  in  bathing  does  not  seem  an  invit- 
ing form  of  hygienic  diversion.  We  have  similar  forms  of  aqueous 
communism  at  Baden-Baden,  the  hot  baths  in  Switzerland  and  the 
large  tanks  in  our  Turkish  baths;  but  there,  at  least,  the  water  flows 
incessantly.  Many  of  the  Japanese  are  fastidious  enough  to  have  a  bucket 
of  fresh  water  poured  over  themselves  after  the  communal  tubbing. 

It  is  not  only  the  poorest  families  —  those  who  cannot  afford  a  tub 
at  home  —  that  frequent  the  public  baths;  many  go  there  to  gossip  with 
friends;  wherefore,  as  previously  intimated,  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
million  of  natives  of  Tokyo  scrub  and  boil  themselves  together  every 
afternoon.  In  obedience  to  law,  the  bathrooms  are  no  longer  fully 
exposed  to  the  street,  but  they  are  only  closed  below.  Any  one  who 
chooses  can  look  in  through  the  latticed  bars  above;  nor  do  the  bathers 
object  to  such  a  proceeding.  There  is  always  a  separate  tank  for  women 
and  one  for  men,  but  the  partition  between  them  is  only  a  few  feet  in 
height,  and  what  is  stranger  still  a  man  may  be  seen  waiting  on  a  score 
or  more  of  women  on  their  side,  while  on  the  men's  side  a  girl  stands 
to  receive  the  admission  fee.  There  may  be  twenty  or  thirty  men  or 
boys  on  one  side,  and  as  many  women  and  girls  on  the  other,  chatting, 
scrubbing,  tubbing,  some  standing,  others  kneeling,  before  a  small  tub 
or  bucket,  using  their  bran  bags,  which  make  the  skin  soft  and  smooth. 
Soap  is  not  favored,  there  is  a  superstition  that  it  makes  the  hair  turn  red, 
and  red  is  the  color  of  the  Japanese  devil.  Every  minute  one  or  two 
leave  the  room,  their  skins  glowing  with  health,  while  the  newcomers 
disappear  behind  a  screen  and  in  a  moment  emerge  stark  naked  and  join 
the  chatting  crowd.  —  From  HENRY  T.  FINCK,  "Lotus  Time  in  Japan." 

(c)  Would  one  see  Japanese  life  in  its  simplicity  he  should  visit  any  of 
the  innumerable  bathing  resorts  in  the  mountains.  Bathing  in  hot 
water  has  had  high  attractions  from  the  earliest  times,  possibly  because 
nature  has  provided  facilities  so  abundantly.  Almost  every  district 
has  its  resort,  where  the  hot  water  rushes  out  of  the  earth  and  at  the 
expense  of  piping  supplies  endless  opportunity  for  pleasure  and  healing. 

Around  the  spring  villages  are  built,  in  picturesque  confusion,  often 
clinging  to  the  mountain-side,  the  foundations  of  one  house  level  with 


APPENDIX  297 


the  roof  of  the  next,  with  narrow  lanes  and  winding  walks,  thickly  lined 
with  cottages  as  if  land  were  priceless  in  value,  with  the  population  as 
dense  as  in  the  metropolis.  Sometimes  the  houses  are  in  a  valley,  with 
a  single  street,  and  the  hot  water  led  in  pipes  of  bamboo  down  its  center. 

One  may  provide  himself,  as  he  will,  with  rooms  only,  bringing  his 
own  servants,  or,  as  with  poorer  people,  cooking  his  own  meals.  This 
need  be  his  only  expense,  save  the  tiny  fee  for  the  bath. 

The  bath  occupies  some  prominent  position,  preferably  the  middle 
of  the  street,  and  the  custom  is  for  men  and  women  to  make  their  toilets 
in  their  rooms  and  then  walk  to  and  from  the  bath  in  complete  uncon- 
sciousness of  anything  surprising  or  immodest.  Or  one  may  find  an 
expensive  suite  of  rooms  in  some  fine  inn,  and  be  furnished  a  separate 
bath  in  private. 

The  springs  vary  in  temperature  and  in  quality.  There  are  some 
which  are  pure  hot  water,  some  which  are  redolent  of  sulphur,  many 
which  are  a  compound  of  strange  ingredients  and  some  which  are  so 
very  hot  that  even  the  Japanese  need  mercy.  One,  for  example,  much 
frequented  by  patients  grievously  afflicted,  is  of  such  a  temperature  that 
the  unfortunates  who  must  use  it  enter  in  companies  at  the  sound  of  a 
bugle,  and  are  cheered  in  their  endurance  by  their  attendant,  who  tells 
them  every  few  seconds  that  only  so  much  of  their  torments  remains. 
One  very  strange  bath,  of  exceptionally  low  temperature,  only  two  de- 
grees below  blood  heat,  has  bathers  who  remain  in  the  bath  for  two 
weeks  at  the  time,  sleeping  and  eating  in  the  water,  floating  at  night  with 
a  stone  on  their  stomachs  to  keep  them  in  position.  Naturally  these 
baths  are  chiefly  for  those  who  need  them,  but  in  many  a  resort  the  pleas- 
ure is  the  chief  thing,  and  it  is  not  unusual  for  the  visitor  to  take  six 
or  eight  dips  a  day.  —  From  "Japanese  Life  in  Town  and  Country,"  by 
GEORGE  WILLIAM  KNOX.  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons. 

(d~)  Some  Europeans  have  tried  to  pick  holes  in  the  Japanese  system, 
saying  that  the  bathers  put  on  their  dirty  clothes  when  they  have  dried 
themselves.  True,  the  Japanese  of  the  old  school  have  nothing  so  per- 
fect as  our  system  of  daily  renovated  linen.  But  as  the  bodies  even 
of  the  men  of  the  lowest  classes  are  washed  and  scrubbed  daily,  it  is 
hardly  to  be  supposed  that  their  garments,  though  perhaps  dusty  out- 
side, can  be  very  dirty  within.  A  Japanese  crowd  is  the  sweetest  in  the 
world.  The  charm  of  the  Japanese  system  of  hot  bathing  is  proved  by 
the  fact  that  almost  all  the  foreigners  resident  in  the  country  abandon 


298  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

their  cold  tubs  in  its  favor.  There  seems,  too,  to  be  something  in  the 
climate  which  renders  hot  baths  healthier  than  cold.  By  persisting  in 
the  use  of  cold  water,  one  man  gets  rheumatism,  a  second  gets  fever, 
a  third  a  never-ending  continuance  of  colds  and  coughs.  So  nearly  all 
end  by  coming  round  to  the  Japanese  plan. 

The  Japanese  passion  for  bathing  leads  all  classes  to  make  extensive  use 
of  the  hot  mineral  springs  in  which  their  volcano-studded  land  abounds. 
Sometimes  they  carry  their  enjoyment  of  this  natural  luxury  to  an  almost 
incredible  extreme.  At  Kawanaka,  a  tiny  spa,  not  far  from  Ikao,  in 
the  province  of  Joshu,  —  one  of  those  places  of  which  there  are  many 
in  Japan,  which  look  as  if  they  were  at  the  very  end  of  the  world,  so 
steep  are  the  mountains  shutting  them  in  on  every  side,  —  the  bathers 
stay  in  the  water  for  a  month  on  end,  with  a  stone  on  their  lap  to  prevent 
them  from  floating  in  their  sleep.  The  caretaker  of  the  establishment, 
a  hale  old  man  of  seventy,  stays  in  the  bath  during  the  entire  winter. 
To  be  sure,  the  water  is,  in  this  particular  case,  one  or  two  degrees  below 
blood  heat.  Thus  alone  is  so  strange  a  life  rendered  possible.  In  an- 
other case  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  certain  village,  famed  for  its  hot 
springs,  excused  themselves  to  the  writer  for  their  dirtiness  during  the 
busy  summer  months.  "For,"  said  they,  "we  have  only  time  to  bathe 
twice  a  day."  "How  often,  then,  do  you  bathe  in  winter?"  "Oh, 
about  four  or  five  times  daily.  The  children  get  into  the  bath  when- 
ever they  feel  cold."  —  From  B.  H.  CHAMBERLAIN,  " Things  Japanese" 

(e)  Japanese  bathing  customs  are  peculiar.  Perhaps  there  are  no  other 
people  on  earth  that  bathe  as  often  as  they.  It  is  customary  for  every  one, 
even  the  coolies,  to  bathe  well  the  whole  body  every  day.  The  baths 
are  taken  very  hot  —  about  110°  Fahr.  Each  private  house  has  a  large 
bathtub,  which  in  many  instances  is  capacious  enough  to  accommodate 
the  whole  family  at  once.  Besides  these  private  baths  each  city  and 
town  has  its  public  ones,  where  a  good  hot  bath,  in  a  place  large  enough 
for  you  to  swim  around,  can  be  had  for  one  cent.  Men,  women  and 
children  go  into  them  at  the  same  time,  indiscriminately.  Japan  is  a 
land  of  hot  springs,  so  that  almost  every  district  has  its  natural  hot  baths. 
Most  of  them  have  medicinal  value,  and  the  people  flock  to  them  by 
the  thousands.  —  From  R.  B.  PERRY,  "  The  Gist  of  Japan." 

(/)  In  such  surroundings  there  seems  nothing  shocking  or  unnatural  in 
seeing  young  human  bodies  bare  to  warm  air.  At  Atami  I  was  looking 
out  of  my  window  rather  early  in  the  morning,  and  noticed  a  pile  of 


APPENDIX  299 


brightly  colored  garments  lying  on  a  wood  heap.  Nobody  was  about; 
but  I  heard  laughter  and  young  voices  coming  from  a  tumble-down 
bath  house  near  by,  and  then,  swift  as  light,  a  slender  young  girl  came 
running  out,  the  water  flying  in  shining  showers  from  her  limbs  as  she 
sprang  at  one  bound  on  the  pile  of  wood;  there  she  stood,  naked  and 
unashamed,  her  arms  stretched  high  above  her  head,  laughing  out  the 
joy  of  her  heart  to  the  rising  sun,  and  breathing  in  all  the  freshness  of 
the  new  day.  I  never  saw  a  more  beautiful  picture  of  innocence  and 
happiness.  —  From  MRS.  FRASER,  "Letters  from  Japan." 

(g)  Cleanliness  is  one  of  the  few  original  items  of  Japanese  civilization. 
Almost  all  other  things  Japanese  have  their  root  in  China,  but  not  tubs. 
We  read  in  the  Japanese  mythology  that  the  god  Izanagi,  on  returning 
from  a  visit  to  his  dead  wife  in  Hades,  purified  himself  in  the  waters  of 
the  stream.  Ceremonial  purifications  continue  to  form  part  of  the 
Shito  ritual.  But  viewed  generally,  the  cleanliness  in  which  the  Japanese 
excel  the  rest  of  mankind  has  nothing  to  do  with  godliness.  They  are 
clean  for  the  personal  satisfaction  of  being  clean.  Their  hot  baths  — 
for  they  almost  all  bathe  in  very  hot  water  of  about  110°  Fahr.  —  also 
help  to  keep  them  warm  in  winter.  For,  though  moderately  hot  water 
gives  a  chilly  reaction,  this  is  not  the  case  when  the  water  is  extremely 
hot,  neither  is  there  then  any  fear  of  catching  cold. 

There  are  some  800  public  baths  in  the  city  of  Tokyo,  in  which  it  is 
calculated  that  three  hundred  thousand  persons  bathe  daily,  at  a  cost 
of  one  sen  three  rin  (about  a  half-penny  of  English  money)  per  head. 
A  reduction  of  three  rin  is  made  for  the  children.  In  addition  to  this, 
every  respectable  private  house  has  its  own  bathroom. 

Other  cities  and  villages  are  similarly  provided.  Where  there  are 
neither  bathing  establishments  nor  private  bathrooms,  the  people  take 
their  tubs  out  of  doors,  unless  indeed  a  policeman,  charged  with  carry- 
ing out  the  new  regulations,  happens  to  be  prowling  about  the  neighbor- 
hood; for  cleanliness  is  more  esteemed  by  the  Japanese  than  our  artificial 
Western  prudery. —  From  a  Standard  Authority  on  Japan. 

(h)  When  the  temperature  of  the  bath  is  raised  above  105°  Fahr.  the 
effect  is  quite  different,  because  its  modus  operandi  is  different.  There  is 
no  longer  a  primary  relaxing  effect  upon  the  peripheral  vessels,  but  an 
intense  stimulating  effect  upon  the  vaso-constrictors,  which  very  soon 
fatigues  the  latter  and  eventuates  in  a  dilatation  of  the  vessels,  filling  the 
skin  with  blood,  which,  being  heated,  raises  the  internal  temperature 


300  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

decidedly.  The  pulse  rises  in  frequency,  becoming  feeble  if  the  tem- 
perature is  raised  to  115°,  and  the  bath  is  prolonged;  collapse  threatens; 
but  removal  from  the  bath  is  followed  by  a  feeling  of  comfort  and  light- 
ness. 

Dr.  Baelz,  of  Tokyo,  has  furnished  accurate  observations  on  the  hot 
bath.  Residing  among  a  people  with  whom  hot  bathing  is  a  daily  prac- 
tice, there  being  four  hundred  thousand  baths  given  daily  in  Tokyo  alone, 
he  had  exceptional  opportunities  for  studying  their  effects. 

The  temperature  adopted  by  the  Japanese  is  usually  about  130°  Fahr.; 
Europeans  indulge  in  baths  of  104°  to  109°  Fahr.  The  head  is  usually 
bathed  in  hot  water  before  the  bath  is  entered,  in  order  to  relax  and 
dilate  the  cerebral  vessels,  and  thus  prevent  cerebral  anaemia  when 
the  cutaneous  vessels  become  greatly  dilated.  This  is  also  aided  by  the 
sitting  posture  usually  assumed.  Palpitation  of  the  heart  and  a  decided 
sense  of  great  heat  are  regarded  as  a  signal  for  removal. 

The  first  effect  of  such  a  bath  is  a  cutis  anserina  and  a  pallor  of  the 
skin,  lasting  a  few  seconds;  the  pulse  becomes  slower  and  afterward 
more  rapid.  At  first  the  respiration  is  not  much  affected;  later  it  be- 
comes purely  thoracic.  The  temperature  of  the  body  rises  slowly  to 
104°  and  over,  this  effect  being  due  to  heat  retention,  combined  with 
direct  absorption  of  heat.  It  occurs  rapidly,  often  within  six  minutes; 
but  it  returns  to  normal  in  half  an  hour  after  the  bath.  The  arteries 
become  relaxed,  the  temporal  artery  assumes  a  dentritic  form  as  in  arterio- 
sclerosis. The  pulse  is  full;  its  curve  is  high.  Prolonged  stay  in  the 
bath  produces  vertigo  and  nausea.  The  consumption  of  albuminoids 
is  not  increased  by  the  hot  bath.  On  leaving  the  bath  abundant  per- 
spiration ensues.  The  Japanese  apply  cold  affusion  before  leaving  the 
bath.  It  is  a  common  error  to  suppose  that  colds  are  easily  taken  after 
hot  baths.  According  to  Baelz,  this  is  impossible.  While  a  warm 
bath  relaxes  the  vaso-constrictors  and  thus  predisposes  to  cold,  the  very 
hot  bath  produces  a  paralysis  of  the  cutaneous  vessels,  which  lasts  some 
time  and  prevents  their  contraction  when  exposed  to  cold.  This  is 
proved  by  the  fact  that  the  Japanese  run  naked  on  the  streets  after  their 
hot  baths  without  taking  cold.  Nor  does  such  a  bath  produce  tenderness 
and  consequent  debility.  On  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  stimulate  and 
tone  them  up;  but  there  is  usually  a  slight  loss  of  weight  after  continuous 
use.  The  sense  of  warmth  produced  by  the  Japanese  hot  baths  is  claimed 
to  be  so  enduring  that  it  is  regarded  as  an  economical  method  of  keeping 
the  body  warm  in  winter  in  dwellings  which  are  not  heated.  .  .  .  Topp 


APPENDIX  301 


(in  "Therapeutische  Monatshefte,"  February,  1894)  confirms  the  view 
of  Baelz  that  the  feeling  of  Men  aise  after  hot  (110°  Fahr.)  baths  taken 
after  great  muscular  exertion  is  due  to  removal  of  fatigue  products  by  the 
increase  of  oxidation.  —  Extracts  from  DR.  SIMON  BARUCH'S  Book,  The  Prin- 
ciples and  Practices  of  Hydrotherapy. 


BATHS  FOR  DOGS. 

It  remained  for  the  Germans  to  solve,  in  a  measure,  the  question 
of  how  to  maintain  domestic  animals,  and  principally  dogs,  in  a 
clean  and  healthful  condition  in  the  city.  It  is,  at  best,  a  difficult 
problem  to  keep  a  dog  in  a  city,  and  the  greatest  trouble  arises 
from  the  fact  that  there  is  very  little  or  no  opportunity  to  bathe 
the  dog. 

During  his  recent  visit  of  inspection  of  a  large  number  of  public 
bath  houses  in  German  cities,  the  author  had  occasion  to  notice 
that  many  of  them  had  provision  made,  in  the  basement,  for 
the  bathing  and  cleaning  of  dogs. 

The  first  public  bath  house  where  such  provision  was  made 
was  the  public  swimming  bath  at  Stuttgart.  The  Guentzbath 
in  Dresden  has  a  similar  provision,  and  the  magnificent  Karl 
Mueller  People's  Bath,  erected  in  the  city  of  Munich  in  1901, 
from  a  gift  to  the  city  of  a  half  million  dollars,  made  by  the  late 
Karl  Mueller,  a  wealthy  civil  engineer,  is  also  fitted  up  with  a 
special  dog  bath. 

,.  The  illustration  shows  the  dog  bath,  as  the  author  saw  it  in 
the  Guentzbath  in  Dresden. 

In  all  cases  baths  for  dogs  are  located  in  the  basement  of  the 
buildings,  and  have  a  separate  entrance,  where  bath  tickets  for 
dogs  are  issued.  The  dog  baths  must  be  well  isolated,  so  that  the 
bathers  on  the  upper  floors  may  not  be  unduly  disturbed  or 
annoyed  by  an  excessive  barking  of  the  animals. 

The  bath  usually  consists  of  two  parts,  namely,  an  anteroom 
containing  a  number  of  stalls,  where  the  dogs  may  be  kept  when 
waiting  for  their  bath,  and  where  they  are  also  kept  during  the 
drying. 


302  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 


The  bathroom  proper  contains  in  the  center  a  bathing  pool 
(see  Fig.  130),  which  in  some  cases  is  built  of  concrete,  in  others 
lined  with  white  glazed  tiles.  The  approximate  dimensions  for 
such  a  pool  are  10  feet  by  12  feet.  The  pool  must  be  provided 
with  hot  and  cold  supplies,  with  waste  and  with  overflow.  At 
one  end  of  the  pool  there  is  a  raised  platform  where  the  dogs  are 
soaped,  rubbed  and  cleaned  previous  to  entering  the  pool. 

Along  one  of  the  windows  there  is  a  table  arranged  with  the 


FIG.  130.    A  BATH  FOR  DOGS. 

necessary  apparatus  for  the  clipping  or  shearing  of  dogs.  The 
appliances  used  for  the  purpose  are  run  by  electricity. 

After  being  rinsed  in  the  pool,  where  opportunity  is  also  afforded 
for  swimming,  the  dogs  are  dried  with  towels,  and  placed  in  the 
warmed  stalls  until  they  are  completely  dry. 

A  special  trained  attendant  is  in  charge  of  the  room,  and  only 
persons  with  dogs  have  access  to  the  same. 

The  dogs  must  be  brought  into  the  bath  led  on  a  chain,  and  the 
owners  must  see  to  it  that  the  dogs  will  not  bark,  fight  or  soil  the 
vestibule  leading  to  the  bath.  The  attendant  receives  the  dogs 


APPENDIX  303 


and  the  bath  ticket  issued  for  them,  and  is  instructed  to  refuse 
admission  to  any  dogs  which  are  suspected  of  being  in  any  way 
sick.  Vicious  dogs  must  be  brought  in  with  muzzle  on,  and  the 
attendant  has  the  right  to  request  the  owner  to  remain  present 
during  the  cleaning  process. 

The  stalls  in  the  anteroom,  where  the  dogs  are  kept,  are  usually 
in  several  tiers,  and  made  of  various  sizes.  They  are  provided 
with  light  lattice  doors  in  front.  Here  there  is  also  provision  for 
drinking  wTater  for  the  dogs. 

The  cleaning  process  is  as  follows:  first,  the  dog  is  wrashed 
thoroughly  with  warm  water  and  soap,  and  then  he  is  scraped 
with  sponge,  dog  comb  and  scraper;  after  that  he  is  douched 
so  as  to  remove  the  soapy  water,  and  finally  he  is  placed  in  the 
large  pool.  On  emerging  from  the  same  he  is  dried  and  kept 
in  one  of  the  stalls  for  about  half  an  hour  until  thoroughly  dry, 
or  until  called  for  by  his  owner. 

The  attendants  are  instructed  to  handle  the  animals  gently, 
and  no  dog  is  permitted  to  be  whipped,  but  in  case  the  animal 
is  inclined  to  be  vicious,  the  attendant  may  call  upon  the  owner 
to  assist  him. 

The  pool,  the  floor  of  the  room,  the  table  and  the  tools  are  kept 
neat  and  clean.  From  time  to  time  the  stalls  are  disinfected,  and 
the  combs,  brushes,  shears  and  scrapers  are  sterilized. 

The  water  in  the  pool  is  frequently  renewed  and  kept  at  a 
moderate  temperature.  The  clipped  hair  and  other  waste  are 
collected  in  tight  metal  cans,  which  are  removed  and  frequently 
emptied. 

The  charges  for  this  service  are  quite  moderate.  In  Stuttgart 
the  charge  for  cleaning  one  dog  is  50  pfennigs  or  12£  cents;  an 
additional  10  pfennigs  is  charged  for  the  use  of  the  pool  and 
2  marks  or  about  50  cents  for  the  clipping  and  shearing  of  the 
dog's  hair,  while  for  a  partial  clipping  the  charge  is  reduced  to  one 
and  one-half  marks. 

In  Munich  the  rules  and  regulations  for  the  dog  baths  are 
quite  elaborate.  The  charges  vary,  according  to  size  of  dog, 
and  according  to  whether  he  is  short-haired  or  long-haired,  from 


304  MODERN  BATHS  AND  BATH  HOUSES 

40  pfennigs  or  10  cents,  to  1  mark  or  25  cents.  The  clipping 
and  shearing  also  varies  from  1|  to  3  marks,  or  from  37  to  75  cents, 
according  to  size  of  dog,  and  whether  he  is  short  or  long  haired. 

When  a  dog  is  not  called  for  three  hours  after  the  bath,  a  special 
charge  for  keeping  the  dog  is  made;  dogs  not  claimed  at  the  end 
of  the  day  may  be  sent  to  the  dog  pound,  in  which  case  the  owner 
must  pay  for  transportation  and  for  board. 

It  is  said  that  "  a  merciful  man  is  merciful  to  his  beast."  Among 
domestic  animals  none  is  a  truer  companion  to  man  than  the 
dog.  Arrangements  similar  to  those  described  and  illustrated 
would,  doubtless,  be  welcomed  by  owners  of  animals  in  our  large 
cities.  There  is  usually  plenty  of  room  available  in  the  basement 
of  the  larger  bath  houses.  The  cost  of  the  pool  can  be  kept 
moderate,  and  the  only  additional  expenses  would  be  the  wages 
for  a  specially  qualified  attendant. 

The  first  experiment  in  this  direction  would  soon  show  whether 
the  income  derived  from  the  dog  bath  tickets  would  be  sufficient 
to  warrant  the  installment  of  this  useful  feature  in  some  of  our 
larger  bath  houses.  —  Contributed  by  the  author  to  "  Modern  San- 
itation" 


INDEX 


Ablutions  of  the  body,  1. 

in  the  Islam  religion,  4. 
Air  bath,  215. 

books  on,  281. 

exercise  in  the,  229. 

view  of  public,  219. 
Air  baths,  234. 

for  children,  226. 
Alberene  stone,  for  walls  of  bathrooms, 

79. 

Apparatus,  "  Gegenstrom, "  44,  47,  195, 
251. 

advantages  of,  46. 
Apparatus,  supplies  to  heating,  263. 

temperature  regulating,  268. 

warm  water,  43,  194,  251. 

Zander,  246. 

Appliances  for  bathing,  kind  and  shape 
of,  17. 

mechanical  orthopedic,  246. 
Aqueducts,  3. 
Arc  light  bath,  245. 
Arrangement,  of  drainage,  79,  266. 

of  gas  piping  in  bath  houses,  267. 

of  water  supply  for  bath  houses,  264. 
Atmospheric  cure,  218. 

B. 

Balneology,  founder  of,  2. 
Basins,  for  non-swimmers,  67. 

for  swimmers,  67. 

swimming,  68. 
Bath,  arc  light,  245. 

combination  arc  and  incandescent 
light,  245. 

dew,  233. 


Bath, — continued. 
earth,  233. 
foot,  19. 

genuine  rain,  233. 
incandescent  light,  245. 
mechanical  wave,  24. 
moor,  233. 
plunge,  25. 
sand,  233. 

shower,  definition  of,  8. 
shower,  on  an  antique  Grecian  vase, 

2,  155. 
sitz,  19. 
snow,  233. 
spray,  52. 

for  workmen,  132. 
wave,  24,  236. 
Bath  houses,  arrangement  of  drainage 

of,  266. 

attached  to  the  gymnasia,  2. 
at  Utica  State  hospital,  183. 
description  of  fixtures  in,  262. 
engineering  details  of,  249. 
glass  work  for,  271. 
hydraulic  plant  for,  250. 
in  Austria,  5. 
in  Byzantium,  4. 
in  Germany,  5. 
in  Italy,  5. 
in  Switzerland,  5. 
marble  work  in,  271. 
materials  for  plumbing  in,  260. 
modern,  5. 
mud,  240. 
people's,  72,  110. 
in  Berlin,  110. 
in  Brooklyn,  90,  102. 
in  Vienna,  116. 
plumbing  of,  248,  252. 
305 


306 


INDEX 


Bath  houses — continued. 
public,  2,  56. 
public,  in  France,  5. 
recent,  in  New  York,  104. 
Russian,  282. 
specifications  for,  258. 
surf,  208. 

tests  of  plumbing  work  in,  259. 
Bath  houses,  water  supply  of,  248. 
Bathing  appliances,  kind  and  shape  of, 

17. 

beach,  207. 
bibliography  on,  275. 
box,  sea,  206. 
compartments,  42  77. 

details  of,  106. 

for  workmen,  131. 

size  of,  80. 
definition  of,  8. 

facilities  in  tenement  houses,  lack  of, 
94. 

in  a  Brooklyn  factory,  141. 
historical  notes  on,  1. 
in  Finland,  5,  288. 
in  Japan,  5,  292. 
in  prisons,  jails,  etc.,  35,  172. 
in  Russia,  5. 
in  Scandinavia,  5. 
in  various  countries,  282. 
objects  of,  8. 

of  insane  patients,  180,  198. 
pools,  26. 

at  Bar  Harbor,  213. 

in  Rome,  public,  3. 

seaside,  211. 
purpose  of,  8. 
river,  4,  27,  126,  205. 
substances  used  for,  14. 
value  of,  1. 

Bathroom,  at  L.  I.  State  hospital,  38. 
at  Utica  State  hospital,  183. 
congregate,  38,  198. 
equipped  with  electric  light  bath,  246. 
essentials  of  private,  50. 
Baths,  act  of  State  of  N.  Y.,  People's,  7. 
artificial  current,  238. 

wave,  237. 


Baths — continued. 
bibliography  on,  275. 
carbonic  acid  gas,  234. 
classification  of,  14. 
cold,  14. 
common,  17. 
details  of  public,  100. 
detail  of  swimming,  65. 
different  forms  of,  14. 
electric  light,  234,  243. 
for  armories,  172. 

barber  shops,  202. 

club  houses,  202. 

dogs,  301. 

exercise,  16. 

gymnasia,  202. 

for  hospitals,  176. 

hotels,  202,  204. 

jails,  172. 

military  barracks,  172. 

police  stations,  172. 

prisons,  172. 

slaughter  houses,  39. 

working  people,  6,  125,  139. 
hot  air,  282. 
hot  sulphur  spring,  2. 
house,  50. 
hydro-electric,  234. 
hygienic  and  cleansing,  8. 
in  Assyria,  1. 
in  Egypt,  1. 

in  factories,  12,  37,  123. 
in  India,  1. 
in  Persia,  1. 
in  tenement  houses,  12. 
in  the  Alhambra,  4. 
in  Turkey,  1. 

interior  arrangements  of  public,  100. 
Japanese  hot,  5. 
location  for  sea,  205. 
"  Lohtannin,"  239. 
medical,  2,  234. 
military,  6,  172. 
mud  and  fango,  234,  241. 
Nauheim,  235. 
of  Diocletianus,  3. 
of  Titus,  3. 


INDEX 


307 


Baths  —  continued. 
oak  bark  solution,  235. 
ocean,  27. 
people's  rain,  94. 
people's  6,  12,  60,  72,  94. 
people's,  in  Norway,  285. 

in  Russia,  283. 

with  swimming  pools,  108. 
pine  needle,  235. 
private  in  Palestina,  2. 
rain,  6,  18,  30,  34,  76. 
river,  27,  126,  205,  208,  211. 
Russian,  15. 
school,  6,  36,  146. 
sea,  205. 
single,  17. 
slipper,  20. 
sofa,  20. 
sponge,  17. 
spray,    in    American    manufacturing 

plants,  136. 
steam,  28,  234. 
structures  for  'sea,  207. 
swimming,  26. 
Tannin,  235. 
tenement,  53. 
therapeutic,  8,  16. 
Turkish,  15. 
Undosa  motor,  236. 

plunge,  238. 

wave  pool,  238. 
vapor,  28,  282. 
warm,  14. 

water  supply  required  for,  14. 
Bath  tubs,  19,  22,  262. 

for  institutions,  objections  to,  181. 
materials  for,  22. 
overhead  spray,  54. 
portable,  176. 
Bidet,  19. 

C. 

Ceiling  of  bath  houses,  79. 
Cleanliness,  bodily,  1,  10. 

in  Japan,  299. 

personal,  9. 


Cleansing  baths,  63. 
Concrete  work  for  swimming  pools,  269. 
Construction  of  a  people's  bath  build- 
ing, 75. 

Cooling  the  air,  provision  for,  71. 
Cost  of  bath  houses,  101,  103,  107,  122, 


D. 

Definition  of  bath,  8. 

of  bathing,  8. 
Dew  bath,  233. 
Douches,  18. 

hot  or  cold  air,  238. 

steam,  235. 

Drainage  arrangements,  79,  266. 
Dressing  compartments,  80. 

size  of,  80. 

room  for  swimming  basins,  70. 

room  for  workmen,  133. 

E. 

Earth  bath,  233. 

Electric  light  bath,  234,  243. 

Electrotherm,  the,  239. 

Equipment  of  a  people's  bath  building, 

75. 

Experimental  measurement  of  quantity 
of  water  for  tub  bath  and  showers, 

82,  249. 
Exterior  of  a  people's  bath  building,  74. 

F. 

Factory  bath  house,  plan  of,  124. 

baths,  12,  37,  123. 
Fango  baths,  242. 
Feed-water  heaters,  251. 
Filters,  drinking  water,  263. 

water,  263. 

Filtration  of  water,  248. 
Fixtures,  description  of,  262. 

shower  bath,  262. 
Floating  river  baths,  209. 


308 


INDEX 


Floor  drain,  191,  254. 

gutter  for  bath  room,  190. 
Floors,  79,  131,  273. 
Foot  bath,  19. 
Free  public  baths,  73. 

G. 

Gangways  for  swimming  basin,  70. 
Gas  piping  in  bath  houses,  267. 
Gegenstrom  apparatus,  44,  47, 195,  251. 

advantages  of,  46,  47. 
Glasswork  in  bath  houses,  273. 

H. 

Heater,  Tobey  hot-water,  44,  85. 
Heating  apparatus,  supplies  to,  263. 

water,  15,  43,  44,  130,  251. 
Historical  notes,  1. 
Hospital  bath  house,  plan  for,  200. 

baths,  176. 

in  Germany,  176. 
Hot  air,  applications,  234. 

baths  of  Japan,  300. 

cabinet  baths,  238. 

springs,  234. 

Hot  water  apparatus,  arrangement  of, 
43,  130,  194,  251,  265. 

heater,  252. 

tank  in  cellar,  251. 

tanks,  263,  268. 

Hydraulic  plant  of  bath  houses,  250. 
Hydropathy,  235. 

I. 

Incandescent-light  bath,  244. 
Inhalatoria,  239. 

K. 

"Kaltwasserheil-Anstalt,"  235. 
L. 

Lack  of  bathing  facilities  in  tenement 
houses,  94. 


Lavatories,  workmen's,  137,  140,  142. 
"Lichtheil-Verfahren,"  243. 

M. 

Marble  for  walls  of  bathrooms,  79. 

work  for  bath  houses,  271. 
Materials  for  plumbing  in  bath  houses, 

260. 

Medical  baths,  2,  16,  234. 
Military  baths,  172. 
Mixing  valve,  253. 

selection  of,  254. 

universal,  256. 
Moor  bath,  233. 
Mosaic  law,  1. 
Motor  baths,  "Undosa,"  236. 

N. 

Nauheim  baths,  235. 
Non-conducting  covering,  268. 
Norway,  baths  in,  285. 

O. 

Objections  to  bath  tubs  for  institutions, 

181. 
Ocean  baths,  27,  206. 

P. 

People's  bath  building. 

construction  of,  75. 

equipment  of,  74. 

exterior  of,  74. 
People's  bath  houses,  72. 

in  Berlin,  113. 

in  Brooklyn,  90. 

in  Vienna,  116. 
People's  baths,  6,  12,  60,  72,  94. 

in  Norway,  285. 


of  Grove-Lassar,  76. 

use  of,  in  Vienna,  121. 

with  public  swimming  pool,  108. 


INDEX 


309 


People's  rain  baths,  78,  94. 

in  Austria,  78. 

in  Germany,  78. 

in  N.  Y.  City,  80. 
Permanent  water  baths,  126. 
Pipes,  gas,  in  bath  house,  267. 

waste,  42,  260,  267. 

water,  42. 

water  supply,  252,  260. 
Plea  for  rain  baths  in  the  public  schools, 

150. 
Plunge  bath,  25. 

for  employees,  138,  212. 

open,  for  country  houses,  212. 

Undosa,  238. 
Plunges,  26. 
Plumbing,  42. 

of  bath  houses,  248,  252,  259. 
Preparatory  baths,  63. 
Pressure  tanks,  250. 
Prison  baths,  172. 
Private  bathrooms,  essentials  of,  50. 

baths,  in  France,  4. 

in  Germany,  4. 

in  Italy,  4. 

in  Palestine,  2. 

Public  bath  and  Washhouse  Act,  5. 
Public  bath  houses,  2,  56. 
Public  bath  houses. 

in  Athens,  2. 

in  Germany,  57. 

on  the  Continent,  57,  60. 
Public  bathing  pools  in  Rome,  3. 

baths,  details  of,  100. 
Public  baths. 

free,  73. 

in  Egypt,  4. 

interior  arrangements  of,  100. 

in  Turkey,  4. 

Public  Health  Exhibition  in  Berlin,  6. 
Purposes  of  bathing,  8. 

Q. 

Quality  of  water  for  bath  houses,  248. 
Quantity  of  water  for  bath  houses,  248. 
measurement  by  experiment,  82,  249. 


R. 


Rain  bath,  76. 

compartment,  31,  77. 

details  of  construction  of,  39. 

first  in  N.  Y.  City,  80. 

for  disinfecting  stations,  199. 

for  lodging  houses,  204. 

for  slaughter  houses,  39. 

for  steamships,  37. 

genuine,  233. 

in  America,  37. 

in  Austria,  78. 

in  Germany,  78. 

people's,  78,  94. 
Rain  baths,  6,  18,  30,  32. 

advantages  of,  32,  35. 

for  hospitals  for  insane,  180. 

general  arrangement  of,  39. 

in  factories  and  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments, 37,  123. 

in  public  schools,  36,  148. 

introduction  of,  30,  34. 

use  of,  98. 
River  bathing,  4,  27,  126,  205. 

the  German  practice  of,  4. 

baths,  location  for,  205. 

construction  of,  208. 
Russian  baths,  15. 


Statistical  figures  on  rain  baths,  98. 
Steam  baths,  28,  234. 
douches,  235. 
vapor  application,  234. 
Sulphur  spring  baths,  hot,  2. 
Sun  baths,  215,  231,  234. 

books  on,  281. 
Sun  rooms,  217. 
Swimming  basins,  dressing  rooms  for, 

70. 

for  school  baths,  154. 
gangways  for,  70. 
temperature  of  the  water  in,  71. 
baths,  26,  63. 
details  of,  65. 


310 


INDEX 


Swimming  baths  —  continued. 
for  soldiers,  5,  172. 
for  workingmen,  126. 

details  of,  126. 
in  schools,  147. 
open  air,  27. 
Swimming  halls,  63,  64,. 

temperature  of,  71. 
Swimming  pools,  concrete  work  for,  269. 

for  factory  operatives,  212. 

heating  the  water  for,  257. 

in  hotels,  213. 

outdoor,  211. 

waterproofing  of,  269. 
Sand  bath,  233. 
Sanitation  in  schools,  170. 
School  baths,  146. 

advantages  of,  156. 

in  Boston,  159. 

in  Germany,  6,  36,  158. 

in  United  States,  6,  36. 

objections  against,  168. 

plans  for,  157,  163,  166,  169. 

requirements  of,  163. 
Sea  baths,  205. 
Service  pipes,  water,  42. 
Shower  bath,  2. 

compartments,  for  workingmen,  133. 

fixtures,  262. 

for  employees,  138,  144. 

head,  details  of,  135,  254. 
adjustable,  257. 

inclined    overhead,    known    to    the 
Ancients,  155. 

rooms,  for  workmen,  142. 
Showers,  18,  129. 
Sitzbath,  19. 
Skin,  action  of  the,  216. 

and  its  functions,  10. 
Slate,  for  walls  of  bathrooms,  79. 
Slipper  baths,  20,  21. 

Benjamin  Franklin's,  21. 
Snow  bath,  233. 
Sofa  bath,  20.       ' 
Solaria,  217. 

Specification  for  bath  house,  258. 
Sponge  baths,  17. 


Spray  baths,  52,  53. 

arrangement  of,  133,  167. 

for  barber  shops,  203. 

for  lodging  houses,  204. 

for  sun  baths,  228. 

for  workingmen,  132. 

in  American   manufacturing   plants, 
136. 

in  schools  in  Germany,  158. 

Koerting  bath,  257. 

opinions  of  medical  men  on,  179. 

proposed    plan    for    public    school, 

166,  169. 
Sprays,  18,  129. 

details  of,  192. 

tepid,  76. 


T. 

Tanks,  for  hot  water,  263,  268. 

pressure,  250. 
Temperature  of  swimming  hall,  71. 

of  water  in  swimming  basin,  71. 

regulating  apparatus,  268. 
Tenement  baths,  53. 

houses,  lack  of  bathing  facilities  in,  94. 
Test  of  plumbing  work  in  bath  houses, 

259. 

Therapeutic  baths,  8,  16. 
Thermae  of  Rome,  3. 
Tub  baths  in  Greece,  2. 

for  workingmen,  128. 
Tub  baths,  262. 

for  workmen,  131. 

in  hospital  wards,  176. 

marble,  20. 

portable,  176. 
Turkish  baths,  15,  16. 


TJ. 

Use,   frequency   of,   people's   baths   in 

Vienna,  121. 
of  rain  baths,  98. 


INDEX 


311 


V. 

Valve,  mixing,  253. 

selection  of,  254. 

universal,  256. 
Vapor  baths,  28. 

Ventilation  of  school  rooms  improved 
by  school  baths,  151. 

W. 

Walls,  finish  of  the,  79. 
Warming  water  for   swimming   pools, 
251. 

by  steam,  251. 
Waste  pipes,  42,  260,  267. 
Water,  apparatus  for  warm,  43, 130, 194, 
251,  265. 

applications,  cold,  235. 

bath,  permanent,  176. 

consumption,  of  sprays,  249. 

drinking,  263. 

filters,  263. 

filtration  of,  248. 

for  bathing  purposes,  248. 

hard,  248. 

heaters,  feed,  251. 


Water — continued. 

in  the  swimming  basin,  temperature 

of,  71. 

massage,  235. 

measurement  of  quantity  of,  82. 
meters,  263. 
minimum  hourly  supply  for  plunge, 

248. 

pipes,  42. 

pressure  in  street  main,  250. 
proofing  of  swimming  baths,  269. 
provision  of  warm,  269. 
softening  plants,  248. 
supply  for  bath  houses,  248,  264. 

for  spray  baths,  135. 

from  a  well,  auxiliary  supply,  250. 

quantity  and  quality  of,  248. 

pipes,  255,  260. 

required  for  baths,  14. 
Wave  baths,  236. 
artificial,  237. 
pool  baths,  Undosa,  238. 


Zander  apparatus,  246. 


5JAEUNIVEW//J 


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